DUI driver found in stolen van with machete and crack pipe

May 16, 2017

A man was driving a stolen van in San Miguel while under the influence of drugs and in possession of a machete and a crack pipe, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Around noon Monday, the CHP received a call from an individual who recognized his friend’s stolen van in the parking lot of the San Miguel Mission. The vehicle had been reported four days prior, according to the CHP.

As CHP units responded to the mission, a man inside the van pulled out of the parking lot and began driving southbound on Mission Street. Officers intercepted the van as it came to a stop at the Rios Caledonia Historical Landmark.

Benjamin Bruce Roberts, 33, exited the van as CHP personnel arrived, and officers took him into custody without incident. Officers booked Roberts into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of grand theft auto, possession of stolen property, DUI, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a crack pipe and driving with a suspended license.

In addition to seizing the machete, officers confiscated burglary tools from Roberts.

Roberts remains in custody Tuesday morning with his bail set at $20,000.