Ames Police and Story County officers arrested an Ames man on felony forgery charges as he was pumping gas Wednesday.

Daniel Vinnece, 31, 225 Crystal St., was apprehended on a warrant at Char’s Amoco, 3100 S. Duff Ave., for using a false birth certificate and driver’s license, according to Ames Police.

“He assumed the identity of another individual,” said Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson.

Several police officers surrounded Vinnece’s car with guns drawn and pulled him from his vehicle, while a 21-year-old woman and toddler watched from inside the car, according to police and bystanders.

“All we saw is a guy pumped gas, went in to pay and as he came out of the store one of the help yelled ‘g-g-g-guns,'” said Char’s co-owner Roger Mullin. “[The employee] was kind of freaked out.”

Ames Police officer Tom Oxley said officers followed Vinnece from his apartment to the gas station where they waited nearby to apprehend him when he came out of the store. “We didn’t want him in the store, and we didn’t want him on the highway,” Oxley said.

He said Vinnece was apprehended without incident, and the woman and child in the car were an acquaintance and her son. She was not charged and had no involvement with the arrest or charges filed against Vinnece, Robinson said.

Oxley said after the arrest, Ames police searched Vinnece’s apartment, which Robinson said produced no further charges.

Robinson said Vinnece is being held on $14,000 bond for the felony and could face a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and no more than a $7,500 fine.

“It was a very exciting couple of minutes to watch,” Mullin said.

— Tom Barton