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A man who led the Texas Department of Public Safety from Sullivan City to Mission on a vehicle pursuit that included speeds in excess of 100 mph told authorities after his arrest that he ran because he panicked when troopers tried to stop him.
The incident began at approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday when DPS troopers tried to conduct a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Silverado in Sullivan City.
A criminal complaint accuses John David Guerra — who was attempting to smuggle two people in the country illegally — of taking off when troopers tried to stop him.
“The vehicle traveled in speeds excess of 100 miles per hour for approximately ten minutes,” the complaint stated.
When Guerra stopped, police found two Mexican citizens in the country illegally inside his vehicle.
“Guerra stated that he (was) offered work transporting undocumented nationals early that day,” the complaint stated.
He told investigators he was going to be paid $800 to transport the people from Sullivan City to McAllen, according to the complaint.
“Guerra stated he panicked when DPS Troopers attempted to stop him and drove at a high rate of speed before coming to a complete stop,” the complaint stated.
Both of the people who were in the country illegally crossed the Rio Grande earlier that day and both said they feared for their lives during the pursuit.
Guerra was booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center Wednesday on state smuggling charges and is scheduled to make a first appearance in McAllen federal court on Friday morning.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated for clarity.
