Man Arrested for DWI After Car Chase Through Wall

A Mereta man, 37-year-old Manual Martinez, was jailed on Tuesday evening after a vehicle chase near Wall that lasted approximately 15.5 miles.  Tom Green County Sheriff’s Deputy Orlando Juarez responded to the area after a call was made to dispatch by another driver on U.S. 87 S., who suspected Martinez might be intoxicated.

In his report, Deputy Juarez writes that the caller had provided the license plate and description of the truck, a yellow Ford Ranger, which was registered to Martinez. Due to past run-ins with the law, Juarez knew Martinez and also knew him to be a resident of Mereta. Although the caller had not followed Martinez and could not provide an update on his location, Juarez instinctively continued the search for the vehicle on FM 2334.

Near Jaratt Road, Juarez spotted a vehicle swerving left and right of the lane line, driving on the wrong side of the road, and exiting the roadway before swerving back into the lane. Juarez then attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however Martinez began to actively evade, leading the deputy on a 15.5-mile chase that blew through stop signs and crossed a field where several people were gathered.

At 602 S. FM 1692, Martinez came to a stop and began to exit the vehicle. He was then taken to the ground and put in handcuffs. Deputy Juarez reported that he could smell a strong odor of alcohol emitting from Martinez, and wrote that he had slurred speech and red blood-shot eyes.

As Martinez waited in the patrol vehicle, Deputy Juarez and Deputy Fry, who had become involved in the chase as backup, observed a baggie containing .4 of an ounce marijuana lying in plain view in the cup holder, along with a blue glass pipe and a rolling paper.

Martinez was charged with possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and evading arrest. Once at the jail, Martinez refused to take a field sobriety test or offer a blood specimen. A search warrant was later signed by 119th District Judge Ben Woodward, and blood was drawn at the hospital.

Martinez was then taken back to the jail, where he was also booked for DWI 3rd or more.