Guns, drugs and violent behavior landed a 35-year-old Pharr man in jail last week on more than a dozen charges, ranging from evading arrest, robbery and possession of drugs found in a Space Jam backpack and racking up nearly $400,000 in bonds.
The criminal allegations against Rogelio Ilogio Ledesma, who police say also goes by the nickname “Porky,” began on Aug. 8 after he allegedly shot at a “vehicle which was occupied,” according to an arrest affidavit.
Police said Ledesma managed to evade authorities, driving “recklessly through traffic,” and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On Aug. 24, authorities arrived at 1008 E. Daffodil Ave. in McAllen at around 7:33 p.m. in response to a robbery. A woman at that location identified in the affidavit as Ledesma’s ex-girlfriend told police he stole her 2011 white Hyundai Santa Fe.
According to the affidavit, Ledesma arrived at her home and asked to borrow her car. When she refused to lend him the car Ledesma then “struck her and took her SUV keys away from her,” the affidavit said.
She got into the passenger to try to stop him from taking the car, but he drove off anyway.
At the intersection of J Street and Fern Avenue, Ledesma — who said he was armed with two guns — stopped and told her that he would be taking her vehicle with or without her consent and then pushed her out of the vehicle, the affidavit said.
Before taking off again, Ledesma took her phone and broke it; however, the woman told authorities she had an application on another phone that allowed her to track her vehicle.
McAllen police pursued the vehicle in and out of various jurisdictions, including McAllen and Pharr. At one point, Ledesma stopped at the east alleyway of 1400 S. 19 1/2 St. in McAllen, where officers attempted to approach the vehicle.
“I got off my unit with my duty weapon drawn to check the vehicle when the brake lights of the Hyundai turned on. The vehicle appeared to be on but had all lights off, and as soon as I got off my unit it reversed and drove North on the alleyway,” a police officer wrote in the affidavit, adding that Ledesma hit a white fence near Bicentennial Boulevard as he fled.
The affidavit went on to state that Ledesma “continued to recklessly cut off vehicles.”
The pursuit continued until around 9:50 p.m. when Texas Department of Public Safety troopers led the chase for Ledesma.
Ledesma was arrested more than two hours after the initial call, and after he crashed the vehicle into a used car lot in Pharr. After crashing the vehicle he attempted to flee the scene on foot; however; a trooper used his stun gun on Ledesma before he could run away.
After his arrest, authorities conducted a vehicle search in which they found a Space Jam backpack belonging to Ledesma. Inside the backpack, they found various drugs including marijuana, meth, ecstasy, Xanax and cocaine, and a box with 44 bullets.
Officers described that they sorted the drugs based on the stickers found on the packaging, which included Pablo Escobar, Rick and Morty, Lego and other brand logos.
He was taken into custody by McAllen police on Aug. 24 and is being held on $396,000 in total bonds for 14 charges, which include seven drug charges, evading arrest, robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and deadly conduct.
