Repeat Offender with Two-Year-Old Son Leads Police on Dangerous Chase Throughout San Angelo

Just before 5:00 p.m. Thursday 29-year-old James Allen Baimbridge and long-time on-and-off girlfriend Elizabeth Casarez walked into the 7-11 at 4321 Southwest Drive. Casarez entered the store first, an eyewitness says, and immediately withdrew a notepad and pen and began writing a note.

Just behind her, Baimbridge entered the store from the sunny outdoors and put on his sunglasses. He approached Casarez at the counter, exchanged some words to her, and then left. Casarez left with him, trailing behind. On her way out, Casarez handed the cashier the note she’d just written.

The cashier recounts what she saw. "The lady came in, she grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper and wrote ‘Please call the police,’” she said. “She wrote the note and I was just observing what was going on. He cornered her on the counter—a white male—and was whispering to her.”

Baimbridge also appeared to be signing, as Casarez is deaf, however his knowledge of sign language has not been confirmed. Shortly after the confrontation, “She just broke past him and he just turned around and he was like, 'ma'am, please' (to the cachier) and I just looked at him and he walked out,” the cashier said. “He went outside, she followed him."

Outside, the tension between the two appeared to escalate as the pair approached the black 2010 Chevrolet Impala that Baimbridge was driving. "They went towards the car and I was just kind of watching them at the time,” the cashier said. “It looked like he was trying to kind of get her in the car, but she didn't get in, so he got in the car and he was driving away and she was walking in this direction (toward the vehicle)."

The cashier called 911.

“I stayed on the line with the police, and as she was walking, she kind of ducked behind the ice machine, so at that point I was concerned that he was pointing a weapon or something. I reported all that to the police and I wasn't busy at the time, so I walked out and they were gone," she said. 

At 4:50 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call about a subject with a gun at Southwest Blvd and Twin Mountain Lane. Here, Baimbridge is reported to have shot at Casarez, before speeding away from the scene. Officers responded to the area and received a description of the vehicle, as well as his name and other information. Units were then sent to the 700 block of E. Avenue D, Baimbridge’s current residence, and waited for him to arrive.

Near Ave. D shortly thereafter, an officer activated his lights and sirens when Bainbridge was spotted arriving at his home in his black Impala. Baimbridge did not stop, however. Instead, he accelerated, leading police on a chase through many parts of San Angelo, reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour on residential streets and disregarding stop signs and lights. Police said that he threw a handgun out his window on Rio Concho when crossing the Concho River, near the convention center.

Sergeant John Rodriguez explains that the chase started on Avenue D and then went north on Bell Street. From there, Baimbridge led police through Hughes, Culwell and 19th Streets before heading south on Bryant then west on the Houston-Harte frontage road. At that point, Baimbridge continued north, then went west on Bailey Street, then north on Jefferson before turning onto Webster.

Sergeant Rodriguez attempted to get ahead of Baimbridge at this point, however Baimbridge came out of one of the cross streets and ran into Rodriguez's police cruiser. The chase continued back to Jefferson Street heading south, until Baimbridge crashed his car at Jefferson and Guadalupe.

After the crash, Baimbridge leapt out of the vehicle and continued running on foot, leaving the wreck behind. At this point, police became aware that all the while during the chase, Bainbridge had Casarez’s two-year-old son in the vehicle.

“Had we known that there was a child in the car, we would not have initiated a chase,” Sergeant Rodriguez said. “We’re not going to willfully endanger a child.”

Baimbridge abandoned his son in the crashed car as Baimbridge attempted to save himself, police said. As officers searched for Baimbridge, additional patrolmen looked after the boy, at one point presenting him with a stuffed animal. 

Police set up a perimeter spanning the space between the Houston-Harte Expressway and Pecos and N. Bishop and Howard St. They searched for the suspect with K9s and patrolmen. The perimeter was disbanded after sometime and Baimbridge appeared to have slipped away. However Baimbridge returned to the scene, and around 7:30 p.m. was apprehended in the 300 block of Jefferson, near where he crashed his car.

Baimbridge was arrested and taken to the Tom Green County Jail, where he was booked on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading detention and abandonment/endangerment of a child. As the investigation continues, additional charges may be added, police said.

Baimbridge has a long history with the SAPD and the TGCSO. His criminal record reveals 16 cases, mostly assault and drug-related. The earliest dates back to 2003. Additionally, Baimbridge has been arrested 22 times in Tom Green County on similar charges to the criminal cases, as well as for public intoxication and criminal mischief. 

Neither the child nor Casarez were injured in the chase or the events leading up to it. The child was returned to Casarez early Thursday evening.