ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police announced the arrest of Darius Pierce-Garcia, 22, on Thursday after he allegedly eluded officers in a prior encounter.

According to police, Pierce-Garcia had fled from officers in the past. When his vehicle was spotted Thursday, around 12:30 a.m. by members of Rockford Police’s Specialized Community Oriented Police Enforcement (SCOPE) team, he was pulled over in the 5700 block of Forest Hills Road at the Wildberry Apartments.

Police said the Pierce-Garcia was taken into custody without incident after a loaded handgun was found in the vehicle.

He faces charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon and driving on a revoked license.

He was booked into the Winnebago County Jail.

In 2021, police identified Pierce-Garcia as a gang member after a weapons arrest following a car crash.