ESCONDIDO: A man in a new, stolen BMW led officers on a chase after presenting an identification card at a driver's license checkpoint yesterday.

The man, whom police identified as a 21-year-old from San Diego, was driving on Washington Avenue east of Citrus Avenue , where officers had set up the checkpoint from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An officer asked him to show a driver's license, but the man gave the officer only an identification card, police said. The officer directed the driver to a secondary inspection area, and the man appeared to be parking the 500 s Series sedan. Suddenly, the driver sped off, police said. Police chased the man several blocks before he abandoned the car and ran.

Officers, aided by a sheriff's helicopter, arrested the man a half-hour later. Officers said they found a loaded firearm, a drug pipe and other contraband on the ground where he had jumped over a fence. The car had been reported stolen in San Diego. Police booked the man in the Vista jail on suspicion of several felony charges. –A.M.