Gary Pressell
Ronald YbarraThis morning at approximately 1:52 am, there was a temporary power outage on the north side of Reno which caused several traffic signal lights on the North McCarran Blvd loop to be temporarily out of service. A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper arrived on the scene of one of the dark intersections near the N. McCarran off ramp from U.S. 395 to assist a police officer from the Reno Police Department with directing traffic.
Moments later, the trooper witnessed a black 1993 Toyota Camry travel through the intersection at a high rate of speed with no attempt to slow down and stop as required whenever a traffic signal is not functioning. The trooper initiated a traffic enforcement stop on N. McCarran Blvd just east of that location near Northtowne Lane. After speaking to the driver-who initially gave the trooper a false name-about the moving violation, the trooper went back to his patrol vehicle to write a traffic citation. Shortly thereafter, the driver, later positively identified as 34-year-old Gary W. Pressell of Reno, sped away from the traffic stop with 42-year-old Ronald L. Ybarra, also from Reno, riding in the right front passenger seat. The vehicle continued to travel east on McCarran Blvd at a high rate of speed before crashing near the intersection of Rock Blvd in Sparks.
When Pressell attempted to turn right onto Rock Blvd, he entered a locked-wheel skid and lost control of his vehicle and disabled it near that intersection. Presser attempted to flee from the car and was apprehended after a brief foot chase while Ybarra remained inside the vehicle. Ybarra was placed under arrest after troopers learned he had an active gross misdemeanor warrant for possession of a dangerous weapon. His total bail was $2,500.
After capturing Pressell, troopers learned he had a $1,000 misdemeanor warrant for violation of a suspended sentence. In addition to the warrant, he was placed under arrest for the following violations:
- Failure to obey a traffic control device
- False information to a police officer
- Felony eluding
- Reckless driving
- Failure to maintain a travel lane
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Possession of a hypodermic device
- Fictitious vehicle registration
- No proof of vehicle insurance
His total bail was $25,330 and both men are still in custody this afternoon at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office detention facility.
From Nevada Department of Public Safety
