Pursuit ends with hijacked car crashing into a house in Nixon

NIXON — Two men were arrested after police said they hijacked a car in San Antonio and crashed it into a house in Nixon while fleeing from officers.

Pct. 4 Deputy Constable Jerry Airola reported that on April 28, Nixon PD Officer Jason Ramsey initiated a vehicle stop that ended up in a pursuit. The vehicle crashed into a house in the 600 block of Holmes Street, and the driver and passenger both fled the scene on foot.

Dispatch informed Ramsey that the vehicle had been stolen out of San Antonio.

Ramsey was able to catch the driver.

Dispatch informed Airola that the passenger ran through a field toward the local Ford dealership. Airola found the passenger as he was walking out of the bathroom at the dealership.

“He had gone into the bathroom to change his shirt,” Airola said. “I arrested him, and after transporting him back to the area where they had struck the house I assisted Ramsey in conducting an inventory of the vehicle.”

Officers recovered a shotgun from the backseat of the vehicle, as well as a box of .40 caliber pistol rounds and as a .40 caliber magazine that would fit a Smith & Wesson pistol.

Based on the finding of the magazine and rounds, officers believed a pistol may have been in the vehicle at the time of the pursuit.

Airola questioned the driver, David Terrel, about the weapon. Terrel said the passenger, Richard Criado, was wearing the pistol in a holster when he ran from the vehicle. However, Criado denied having a weapon.

With the help of Nixon firefighters, Airola searched the field but was unable to find the pistol. Airola informed the employees of the dealership that the pistol may be in the area located behind the dealership.

“I was informed [on April 29] that one of the employees did find the pistol that matched the description given to us by the driver, as well as the holster and 1.8 grams of methamphetamine in a baggie,” Airola said.

On the afternoon of April 28 Officer Ramsey made contact with the owner of the vehicle in San Antonio. The owner of the vehicle told Ramsey that the vehicle was taken from him at gunpoint during a carjacking incident in San Antonio. The owner of the vehicle described the carjackers, matching the description of these two subjects. He also described the shotgun that officers recovered from the back of the vehicle, which was unique because of a special handle that was attached to the shotgun.

These two subjects are likely tied to additional crimes in San Antonio, officials said.

Ramsey will be turning over information to the San Antonio Police Department detectives for further investigation.