At about 10:49pm Sunday, Turlock Police, Turlock Fire, and American Medical Response responded to a sick person at Oleander Lane and Lantana Way.

The caller reported a vehicle was stopped at a stop sign with someone passed out behind the wheel. The caller was a passerby who had left the area.

Another witness arrived in the area before officers and observed the vehicle still at the stop sign with Americo Palomino, 35, of Turlock, in the driver seat and his foot on the brake for no apparent reason. Palomino was nodding off and appeared dazed.

About a minute later, as soon as Officer Marquez turned onto Lantana Way from N. Berkeley Avenue, Palomino turned northbound on Oleander Lane and started to drive off.

Marquez attempted to stop Palomino, who failed to stop for his lights and sirens, driving nearly half a mile.

At Oleander Lane and East Avenue, Palomino came to a stop at a stop sign, but then pulled out right in front of another vehicle traveling westbound, causing it to have to make an evasive maneuver to avoid a traffic collision.

Eventually, Palomino stopped at East Avenue and Bell Street.

Marquez made contact with Palomino, who was determined to be unlicensed.

Palomino didn’t require any medical aid, so Turlock Fire and American Medical Response were canceled.

While speaking with Palomino, Marquez noticed he was displaying objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol.

Marquez removed Palomino from his vehicle, put him through standardized field sobriety tests, and had him blow into a preliminary alcohol screening device.

Based on the totality of the circumstances, Marquez determined Palomino was under the influence of alcohol.

Palomino was arrested and issued a driver’s license suspension order.

During a subsequent inventory search of Palomino’s vehicle, officers located an open, half-empty Modelo box.

Palomino was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on the charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Palomino’s vehicle was towed.