Convicted felon accused of leading deputies on pursuit through Hesperia while tossing bags of meth

A convicted felon led deputies on a high-speed pursuit through Hesperia while tossing bags of methamphetamine out of a vehicle window before ultimately being arrested, authorities said.

The incident began just before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy assigned to the Hesperia Police Department tried to pull over a car at Bear Valley Road and Mariposa Road, according to the department. The deputy noticed the car's license plate did not match the vehicle

"(The deputy) activated his lights and sirens however the driver did not pull over, and a pursuit ensued," sheriff's officials said in a written statement . "The driver of the vehicle accelerated at speeds above 100 mph, violated multiple California vehicle codes and led deputies on an approximately 3-mile pursuit."

Throughout the pursuit, the driver was seen tossing "multiple bags of unknown items" out of a window, according to the statement. The bags were recovered and determined to contain about 20 grams of methamphetamine.

The vehicle came to a halt and the driver ran, officials said. He was caught following a short foot chase.

Gilberto Rodriguez, described as a 25-year-old transient known to frequent Victorville, was booked on suspicion of evading police and transportation of a controlled substance, county booking records show.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday in the Victorville branch of San Bernardino County Superior Court, as well as denied a special allegation of having a prior felony conviction. Bail was set at $100,000.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Convicted felon accused of leading deputies on pursuit through Hesperia while tossing bags of meth