Caltrans winter operations employee arrested after his vehicle flagged by FBI on no-bail warrant

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A seasonal Caltrans employee was arrested by the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office on Saturday after he was determined to be a man wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

On December 16 at 5:40 p.m., a vehicle related to a wanted person was spotted in Meyers. The Sacramento office of the FBI had flagged the vehicle and the associated subject, Ricardo Sanchez, for being an armed and dangerous felon with an active no-bail warrant for his arrest.

Deputies searched the area and located the vehicle in the Caltrans parking lot off SR89 in Meyers. Deputies confirmed via Caltrans management that Sanchez was in a dorm room on the second story. With assistance from other law enforcement partners, California Highway Patrol and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Sanchez was contacted and surrendered without incident.

Sanchez was booked into the El Dorado County Jail South Lake Tahoe on his warrant, and is being held on one felony count of T-18 US Code Sec. 922 - Felon in procession of a firearm.

"The person arrested Saturday at our Meyers maintenance yard was a PI (permanent intermittent) employee who was brought on to help with winter operations," said Steve Nelson, chief Caltrans PIO. "Caltrans is grateful no one was injured during the arrest and is always thankful for our partners in law enforcement."

Nelson said Caltrans had no further comment at this time.