CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A San Diego man has been convicted on street racing charges after being caught racing five other drivers on Interstate 15, according to City Attorney Mara Elliott’s office.

The man, identified as 40-year-old Victor Manuel Guillins, was found guilty by a jury last week on two criminal counts relating to an incident that occurred Aug. 29, 2022 just south of the exchange between the I-15 and Interstate 8, Elliott’s office announced in a press release.

Around 12:50 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers saw a group of slow-moving vehicles with their hazard lights activated on I-15, according to testimony. The officers said they recognized this as an intentional maneuver to set up a street race.

The CHP officers bypassed the slow-moving vehicles and then saw six accelerate rapidly, including a gray Honda Civic. Elliott’s office said the driver and registered owner of the Civic was identified as Guillins.

Guillins’ vehicle reportedly reached speeds of approximately 90 miles per hour and veered between lanes, according to the CHP officers’ testimony in court. Officers focused on his car after they witnessed him open the driver’s side door while he was accelerating.

“The dangerous combination of these Vehicle Code violations drew officers’ attention specifically to Guillins’ car, despite other vehicles participating in the speed contest,” Elliott’s office said in a release.

The officers then attempted a traffic stop, but Guillins changed course by exiting the freeway at Home Avenue. CHP engaged in a pursuit for nearly three minutes, the City Attorney’s office said.

Guillins was sentenced to 30 days in jail and one year of probation.

“This sentence shows how seriously my office, law enforcement and the courts take these reckless incidents on public roadways,” Elliott said in the release. “I created a Street Racing Task Force to protect the public from drivers who recklessly endanger the lives of themselves and others.”

A new law passed by the state legislature will increase penalties for street racing in July 2025 by adding up to a 6-month suspension of a driver’s license for offenders.

Guillins’ case was handled by Deputy City Attorney Alex Griffen of the Neighborhood Justice Unit, under the supervision of Interim Chief Deputy City Attorney Natasha Robertson and Assistant City Attorney Paige Folkman.