Morales
A 21-year-old man who who led Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on a chase from San Juan to Rio Grande City and nearly hit an officer during a pursuit where police fired shots received a 6-year prison sentence on Tuesday.
Manuel Morales entered a guilty plea to evading arrest and aggravated assault against a public servant and prosecutors dismissed a charge of attempted capital murder of a peace officer.
Morales has been in custody since his Aug. 20, 2020 arrest following the chase, which happened after a trooper spotted a black Chrysler 300 driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Cesar Chavez Road south of SH 495, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The trooper attempted to stop Morales, who continued westbound on Expressway 83 at a high rate of speed.
“The vehicle continued to drive recklessly almost striking other vehicles on the expressway,” the affidavit stated.
During this chase, a trooper tried to use a spike strip on the Chrysler 300 on the highway, but, according to DPS, Morales drove across the highway from the far left inside shoulder toward the trooper who was positioned on the far right shoulder and “intentionally attempted to strike her with (the) vehicle.”
At the time, a video of this circulated widely on social media and showed the trooper jumping out of the vehicle’s way as they are nearly hit.
The chase continued toward Mission where DPS alleged Morales tried to strike a marked DPS unit from the rear.
When Morales left Mission’s city limits, a trooper fired several shots t the Chrysler’s tires, according to the affidavit.
The chase finally ended as Morales entered Rio Grande City when Morales’ vehicle hit another set of spike strips, disabling the vehicle.
DPS determined several people inside Morales’ vehicle were in the country illegally.
Morales has remained in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center for a little more than two years, which will be credited toward his sentence.
