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La Feria Police Capture Suspect After Hi-Speed Chase
- Updated: October 16, 2015
LA FERIA – A high-speed chase involving units of the La Feria Police Department, the Mercedes Police Department, the Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Border Patrol resulted in the arrest of a wanted suspect and three detained female passengers.
The successful police action was the direct result of an alert La Feria Patrol Officer on routine traffic patrol. Officer Frank Sanchez became suspicious of the suspect vehicle and ordered a traffic stop. As the officer approached the stopped car, it suddenly took off in the direction of Mercedes with the passengers inside. Officer Sanchez was alone in his patrol unit, but took off after the suspect vehicle. He reported his actions and asked the dispatcher to alert the other law enforcement teams to join in the chase.
Amado Rangel, 17, driver of the crime vehicle. Photo: LFPD
The suspect proceeded west on Expressway 83 frontage road to mile 1 at a high rate of speed with officer Sanchez right on his tail. The vehicle exited on FM 1015 and steered into a Stripes store and circled back to make a U-turn. He proceeded east on the frontage road and continued until he made a skidding right turn and lost control of his vehicle, then striking head-on an overpass vertical support column. The suspect and all occupants bailed out of the wrecked car and ran in different directions.
All female suspects were apprehended shortly after the accident. The driver was apprehended 2 ½ hours later with the assistance of the Mercedes Police Department, the Texas Highway Patrol and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The driver of the car, Amado Rangel, is 17-years-old and is from Donna, He was charged before a judge with the felony charge of evading arrest and detention with the use of an automobile and a secondary misdemeanor charge of evading arrest and detention on foot. He is now in detention in the Cameron County jail.
Monica Vasquez, 34, being held for extradition. Photo: LFPD
One of the women arrested was wanted by the Sheriff’s Department of Warrenton, Texas for possession of Marijuana. She is in the Cameron County jail awaiting extradition to Warrenton, Texas.
Police Chief Don Garcia attributes the quick apprehension and arrest of the suspects to the prompt response and support of the abovementioned law enforcement agencies. It was also a good demonstration of the effectiveness of the recently activated special police radio frequency joining all the law enforcement services in the Rio Grande Valley.
Chief Garcia added that there is more to this story that will come out at a later date.
