Suspect in March Car Chase with 2-Year-Old Son Sentenced in Lubbock

A convicted felon who fired at his ex-girlfriend and led police on a high-speed chase throughout San Angelo in March with his 2-year-old in the car was sentenced to 63 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office reports.

James Allen Baimbridge, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings after entering a guilty plea in June 2014, a press release states.

The incident occurred on March 13, when Baimbridge and Elizabeth Casarez entered a 7-11 on Southwest and Caserez passed the cashier a note asking her to call the police. When Baimbridge exited the convenience store, Cesarez followed and apprehensively got into the vehicle. 

Minutes later, near Southwest and Twin Mountain Lane, police were dispatched to a shots fired called. Baimbridge had at that point allegedly fired a round at Cesarez before speeding away in his black 2010 Chevrolet Impala with their 2-year-old son. 

Responding officers gathered information and began to circulate his residence in the 700 block of Ave. D, where they spotted him moments later. Baimbridge then fled in the Impala and evaded police for several minutes, ultimately crashing at Jefferson and Guadalupe after he hit a police car. 

Baimbridge then fled on foot and was captured in a neighboring backyard that evening. 

According to plea documents filed in the case, on March 13, officers with the San Angelo Police department were in pursuit of the vehicle Baimbridge was driving. During the pursuit, Baimbridge threw his .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, which was later recovered, from the vehicle. Baimbridge eluded the police and was able to run from his car; he was arrested soon thereafter, the release states.

While Baimbridge has been sentenced on the firearm possession charge, he still has three pending indictments from the events on March 13. A Tom Green County grand jury indicted Baimbridge in May this year for evading with a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and abandon/endanger a child, criminal negligence. A jury trial for all three charges has been scheduled for Oct. 20 in Judge Ben Woodward's 119th District Court.

The San Angelo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated. Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Williams, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lubbock, Texas, prosecuted.

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 in the evening of March 13.