RESEDA : Man Who Turned Self In Is Charged

Filiberto Arregui was charged Monday with car theft and evading police.

But the latter count seems open to interpretation--he was arrested after leading police on a 10-minute car chase that ended at the back door of the West Valley Police Station.

Arregui, 27, of Reseda was taken into custody Saturday afternoon after he inexplicably drove into the rear police-only parking lot of the Vanowen Street station and pulled up to the back door as a squad of officers was leaving for the night shift, police said. Then he stepped out of the allegedly stolen car, smiled at officers and waited to be arrested.

“I don’t know why he did it,” Detective Bob Hart said. “He did say he had been drinking.”

The incident began about 3:30 p.m., when officers responded to a report of a car being stolen and spotted Arregui in the allegedly stolen car at Sherman Way and Tampa Avenue, Hart said. The suspect attempted to get away, and the chase reached speeds of 65 m.p.h. along residential streets. But rather than pulling over, Arregui drove to the police station and pulled in.

Hart said Arregui, who was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail, was charged with evading for initially speeding away from officers. He is expected to be arraigned on the charges today in Van Nuys Municipal Court.