A Willits man was arrested on suspicion of felony evading after leading officers on a high-speed pursuit recently, the Willits Police Department reported.

According to the WPD, around 4:30 a.m. Jan. 29 an officer attempted to stop a vehicle with expired tags, but the driver "fled westbound on Hwy. 20, reaching speeds up to 80 mph." Due to "the unsafe speed and icy road conditions," the pursuit was abandoned by the officer.

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office deputies located the suspect's vehicle "several miles west on Irmulco Road, having come to rest about 15 feet off the roadway into the woods." A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered items that "pointed to a possible suspect, identified as Jesse L. Davenport," a 34-year-old resident of Willits. Further investigation reportedly revealed that Davenport "was indeed driving the vehicle during the pursuit."

Early the next morning on Jan. 30, when a WPD sergeant stopped another vehicle for "several violations," the passenger was identified as Davenport, who reportedly "made incriminating statements confirming that he was the driver of the vehicle that fled from the WPD officer."

Davenport was arrested on suspicion of reckless evasion of a peace office, possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance, and bringing either alcohol or drugs into the jail, as reportedly "2.3g of methamphetamine was located hidden on his person" during the booking process.