U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Highway 86 checkpoint near Salton City , California arrested a man who attempted to avoid inspection.

According to the Border patrol , the man was driving an SUV when he approached the checkpoint at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Agents noticed someone in the rear of the SUV trying to hide under a blanket. The vehicle was directed to secondary inspection but the driver sped off. Border Patrol agents pursued the SUV and were able to arrest the driver when he went off the roadway and became stuck in soft sand. Two passengers , determined to be Mexican nationals illegally in the United States , were also taken into custody.

The driver was identified as 44-year old Timothy James Colburn who was found to have been convicted of sexual battery and two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under age 14 in 2006. Colburn was sentenced to 5 years in prison for his crimes. Colburn is being held in federal custody pending criminal prosecution.