Man arrested after 3 attempts to flee border

A 36-year-old man is accused of trying to flee Customs officers in a commandeered tow truck after the tires on his vehicle were shredded, federal officials said Thursday.

The man, a Mexican citizen who was not named, was taken into custody after the incident about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Jackie Wasiluk said.

The man approached the port in a 1997 Toyota 4 Runner, using a SENTRI lane, but was not a member of the trusted-traveler program, Wasiluk said. He was directed to pull over but twice tried to flee an inspection lot. On the second try, the SUV’s tires were shredded by a port runner-deterrent system.

The man then got into a tow truck that was picking up seized vehicles at the port and tried to drive away, but he was stopped by officers, Wasiluk said.

The man did not have legal documents to enter the United States, Wasiluk said. He was booked into a county jail.

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