by | Published
ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas — A man with active warrants out of Dallas was arrested late Friday night after leading deputies on a dangerous pursuit that included driving the wrong way on Interstate 37.
Just before midnight, an Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle near FM 140 and Avenue E in Christine, a small town in southern Atascosa County.
According to authorities, the driver refused to stop and attempted to flee. The suspect drove onto Interstate 37 and began traveling northbound in the southbound lanes, creating a dangerous situation for other motorists.
Instead of following directly behind the vehicle, Deputy Devorah moved onto the access road to maintain visual contact while reducing the risk to other drivers.
Within minutes, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper arrived to assist. The suspect eventually moved back to the correct side of the highway but continued fleeing northbound on I-37.
As the pursuit continued, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office was alerted and set up near the Bexar–Atascosa county line with spike strips in an effort to stop the vehicle.
However, once the suspect crossed into Bexar County, he crashed his vehicle into a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office patrol unit. Authorities said the patrol vehicle was unoccupied, as the deputy had stepped out to deploy the spike strips.
The crash disabled the suspect’s vehicle, allowing deputies to take Angel Martinez into custody without further incident.
Officials said Martinez had active arrest warrants out of Dallas County for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Fraud.
He was transported back to the Atascosa County Jail, where he was booked on the Dallas warrants and charged with Evading Arrest in a Motor Vehicle (Felony). Authorities say additional charges from Bexar County are pending.
No injuries were reported during the incident.
The Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office praised the coordinated effort between deputies, Texas DPS, and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office that led to the suspect’s safe arrest.
