A 34-year-old fugitive wanted for attempted murder and other violent crimes in California and Nevada was arrested Sunday after a vehicle pursuit in Catawba County.
Fernando Anthony Avalos of California was taken into custody on March 15 after deputies disabled his vehicle on Highway 16 South. Avalos initially refused to provide his name or any identifying information to deputies at the scene.
Investigators later identified him through coordination with local and federal partners, discovering that he was a wanted fugitive facing numerous violent crime charges in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The pursuit began when deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Avalos for an equipment violation. After he failed to stop, deputies used stop sticks to disable his vehicle and take him into custody at the scene…