by | Published
BOERNE, TEXAS – A 19-year-old from San Antonio has pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges following a months-long investigation that connected a series of dangerous police evasions to social media videos bragging about the incidents.
Timothy Vitaliy Fogel, 19, pleaded guilty in Kendall County to three charges — two counts of Felony Evading Arrest in a Motor Vehicle and one count of Reckless Driving. The plea resolves nine separate criminal offenses, including multiple counts of Deadly Conduct.
The case began when Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Parker Wilson discovered an Instagram account called @slow530i that posted videos of a black BMW performing high-speed stunts and taunting local law enforcement. The footage referenced encounters with police in Boerne and Kendall County.
The discovery led to a joint investigation by the Kendall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and the Boerne Police Department, spearheaded by Crime Analyst Investigator Kristal Reser and Detective James Vela. The team used a combination of open-source intelligence, digital forensics, and traffic data to connect Fogel to the account and a series of reckless driving incidents across Kendall County.
Records from Meta (Instagram’s parent company) and T-Mobile confirmed the account belonged to Fogel, including his email address, phone number, and IP data. Investigators also identified him in several of the posted videos through visual comparison and matching details from dashcam footage.
The first confirmed incident occurred April 30, 2025, when Boerne Police Officer Eric DeLaRosa encountered a black BMW without license plates on the IH-10 frontage road. The masked driver made an obscene gesture toward the officer and sped away, leading to a high-speed chase that was later called off for safety reasons. Shortly after, a video titled “he tried but failed (AI FAKE FOOTAGE)” appeared on @slow530i, showing the same pursuit from the driver’s perspective.
Over the following weeks, similar incidents occurred. On May 10, 2025, the same BMW sped past officers conducting a traffic stop at over 100 mph, nearly hitting two civilians. That clip later appeared on Instagram under the caption “Little fly by for the cops (AI FAKE FOOTAGE)”, showing the car’s speedometer at 142 mph.
On May 30, the vehicle again sped past emergency vehicles on IH-10, where sheriff’s deputies were assisting at a crash scene. The suspect’s car was later clocked at 118 mph as Boerne police attempted to intercept it. Another video soon appeared online titled “sheriffs don’t do nothing again (AI FAKE FOOTAGE)”, mocking law enforcement.
One of the most dangerous encounters came June 22, when Fogel fled police after being recognized by Officer DeLaRosa in Boerne. He raced through downtown streets at over 100 mph, weaving through traffic, driving into oncoming lanes, and nearly hitting another patrol car. Social media posts that night taunted officers, saying, “Boerne pd y’all slow… 20 or more cops still fail ☠️?.”
Investigators eventually confirmed the vehicle returned to Fogel’s residence in San Antonio after the June 22 pursuit. Surveillance footage from his neighborhood captured the same black BMW and helped verify his identity.
On July 4, 2025, Fogel was finally detained after officers spotted his car at a convenience store in Boerne. The vehicle contained multiple GoPro mounts, a police radar scanner, and a novelty plate reading “WILLRUN,” matching details shown in his online videos.
Fogel’s plea makes him a convicted felon. Judge Kirsten Cohoon sentenced him to ten years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for six years under the Kendall County Adult Probation Department. His probation terms include:
Six months of GPS ankle monitoring
Mandatory random drug and alcohol testing
A $1,500 fine and 120 hours of community service
A defensive driving course
Written apology letters to the officers he endangered
Restricted access to motorcycles and certain vehicles
Additionally, Judge Cohoon ordered Fogel to reimburse his parents for his legal expenses and to write them a personal apology letter.
Assistant Criminal District Attorney Andrew Fields prosecuted the case, emphasizing that such reckless and attention-seeking behavior will not be tolerated.
“This case highlights how digital media and reckless driving can intersect in dangerous ways,” Fields said. “Using social platforms to glorify criminal acts only amplifies the risk to the public and guarantees accountability.”
Authorities say the conviction should serve as a warning to others who use social media to promote illegal street racing or taunt law enforcement. Kendall County investigators confirmed that any similar offenses in the future will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
