Erratic driving lands Smithville man in jail

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GONZALES — A Smithville man wound up behind bars recently after leading police on an erratic car chase over the course of several blocks.

At 6 p.m. Oct. 4, Sgt. Drew Nidey was patrolling eastbound in the 1400 block of Dallas St. when he saw a white Cadillac swerving in front of him. After Nidey flashed his emergency lights, the car continued swerving and did not stop, GPD Capt. Allen Taylor said.

The Cadillac then ran the stop sign at the next intersection at a low rate of speed, then crossed over at Robinson St., at which time Nidey turned on his siren. After turning left on Mesquite St., it stopped at the next intersection and took off at a high rate of speed. With Nidey in pursuit, the Cadillac ran a stop sign and turned in a driveway in the 1700 block of Weimar St.

When the car came to a stop, Nidey apprehended the driver — Eddie Van Green, 26, of Smithville — and arrested him for evading in a motor vehicle. The passenger — a 13-year-old female — faces charges for possession of a dangerous drug and interfering with the duties of a public servant. Green was taken to Gonzales County Jail. Officer Dustin Kincaid, who had joined in the pursuit, took the juvenile to GPD. She was later released to the custody of her parents.

At 10:33 p.m. Oct. 10, Officer Trey Tunis was dispatched to Lone Star Bank in reference to a hit-and-run incident involving a car that had left the scene after hitting a light pole at the Lexington Exxon.

Dispatch informed Tunis that a caller had been driving behind the truck when it struck the pole, and that the vehicle had turned into the Tiger Tote in the 1100 block of Sarah DeWitt Dr.

When Tunis met with the caller, he confirmed he had witnessed the incident, and that the truck had left the scene quickly. The witness pointed out the truck, which was a grey Chevrolet pickup — and was unoccupied at the time.

Tunis found the driver, Rafael Ramirez, 18, of Arp, walking around outside the truck, and noticed damage to the front end of the Chevy. Ramirez confirmed the truck was his and that he had struck the pole at the store. Officers found an empty six-pack of beer inside the vehicle as well as a bottle of whiskey. Ramirez was taken to Gonzales County Jail, charged with failure to comply with requirements on striking fixtures and minor in possession of alcohol.

At 3:55 p.m. Oct. 11, Officer Tyler Wendland was dispatched to the 300 block of Wallace St. in reference to a disturbance. Upon arrival Wendland was informed by the complainant that his daughter’s boyfriend had been yelling in their front yard and frightening the neighbors.

When the officer found the man, he was in the passenger seat of a car yelling at the girlfriend, who was standing by the open driver’s side door.

Discovering the passenger door to be locked, Wendland ordered the man, Jared Michael Flores, 20, of Gonzales, out of the vehicle, but Flores ignored him. When the officer asked the woman to unlock the door, Flores began yelling at her again.

The woman eventually unlocked the door, and when the officer asked Flores to identify himself, he refused to do so, saying he hadn’t done anything wrong. Flores then became combative, fighting off officers’ efforts to handcuff him. After a brief struggle, officers were able to get him in handcuffs.

Flores continued to resist arrest as officers led him to the patrol car, eventually having to use a stun gun on him. Flores was taken to Gonzales County Jail, charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failure to identify.

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