An 18-Year-Old San Angelo Man Attempts to Evade Arrest While Another Flees on New Year’s Eve

On Jan. 1, 2016, at 12:04 a.m., only minutes after people cheered in the new year, an 18-year-old man, Rodrigo Lara Gutierrez and a passenger in his vehicle, decided to engage Tom Green County Sheriff’s deputies on an evasion of arrest attempt.

According to a report filed with the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, Lieutenant Richard Ron Sanders, who was on patrol, said the situation started with Gutierrez-Lara traveling at a high rate of speed on Loop 306.

As Sanders traveled parallel with Loop 306, the lieutenant said he saw a 2014 Dodge Charger traveling westbound on Loop 306 at a high rate of speed.

“I entered Loop 306 and began traveling westbound, and I was able to clock the speed of the vehicle with departmental issued radar, and the vehicle was traveling at 91 mph in a 65 mph zone,” Sanders stated.

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Sanders explained that he proceeded to catch up to Gutierrez’s vehicle as it exited Loop 306 at the Glenna St. off ramp. At that point, the vehicle traveled to the intersection of the Loop 306 side view of Glenna St., disregarded the red light and turned left onto Glenna. As he traveled to the intersection of Arden Road, the driver once more disregarded the red light and turned left onto Arden Road.

“I activated the overhead emergency lights on my duly marked Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office patrol unit,” Sanders said. “The vehicle accelerated as it traveled on Arden Road, toward the intersection with Sherwood way.”

Although Sanders activated his siren, Gutierrez continued to travel onto Avenue N, heading eastbound. He turned right on Johnson St., and then turned right on Princeton when he finally stopped.

Once the Charger stopped, Sanders said the passenger side door of the vehicle opened, a subject exited the vehicle and began to flee westbound on foot down Princeton.

Sanders described the subject as a white male wearing khaki colored pants and black in color jacket/hoodie. He is approximately 5’10 to 6 feet tall with a thin build.

“When the subject exited the vehicle, he did not look toward me, so I was unable to see his face,” Sanders noted.

When the lieutenant made his way to the vehicle, he identified Gutierrez from his driver’s license and asked the young man if he had an emergency. Gutierrez responded, “No.” Sanders then asked the man why he failed to stop when he saw the patrol unit attempting to stop him. Gutierrez responded, “I did stop.”

When questioned about the passenger who fled, Gutierrez denied knowing the name of the person. Sanders stated he placed Gutierrez under arrest for the criminal offense of Evading Arrest/Detention with a Motor Vehicle. He was arrested without incident.

In an attempt to find the other individual, other law enforcement personnel from TGSO and the San Angelo Police Department searched the area, but were unable to locate the man SAPD later identified.

“I was advised by an officer with the San Angelo Police Department that a subject identified as Austin Carpenter has an outstanding arrest warrant for the criminal offense of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon,” Sanders stated in his report. “I was also advised that R. Gutierrez is a known associate of A. Carpenter and they have been seen together.

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During the investigation of Gutierrez’s Charger, Sanders found a glass container shaped like a pistol with a brown in-color liquid that had an odor of an alcoholic beverage and was labeled “Tequila” in the passenger area of the vehicle. Because of Gutierrez’s age, Sanders charged the 18-year-old with the criminal offense of Minor in Possession of Alcohol.

“I then transported R. Gutierrez to the Tom Green County Jail where he was released to detention personnel,” said Sanders.

The lieutenant added that during his search, he located Carpenter’s record, and the physical description matched the physical description of the subject who fled on foot.