A man serving time for domestic violence who failed to return from a court-approved day-pass was arrested after crashing during a police pursuit in Madera County, authorities said.

Michael Sanchez, 30, had been granted a temporary release from custody by a visiting judge from Fresno to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Salinas on Wednesday. He was scheduled to return by 7 p.m. but never showed up, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said.

Michael Sanchez

Deputies located Sanchez around 11 a.m. Friday after spotting his girlfriend, Marie Cruz Perez, 29, picking him up from an orchard near Avenue 23. Shortly after, the pair switched seats and Sanchez began driving, officials said.

When deputies attempted to pin in the vehicle, Sanchez rammed law enforcement vehicles and fled at high speed. Deputies noticed children inside the vehicle and did not pursue, the sheriff’s office said.

The vehicle later collided with another car at the intersection of Avenue 7 and Road 23.

That vehicle was occupied by Cruz Perez and two small children, authorities said.

Sanchez fled the crash scene on foot but was tracked by the department’s Falcon 1 aircraft and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Eagle 1 helicopter. He was taken into custody within 30 minutes, police said.

Authorities said that he now faces additional charges, including felony hit-and-run, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony child endangerment.

Cruz Perez was also arrested at the scene and charged with felony child endangerment and being an accessory.

The children in the vehicle were placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

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