Details emerge from car chase after body discovered in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES – Police charged a Las Cruces man Friday afternoon after they said he drove over another man before leading police on a chase across town.
Gabriel Jordan, 31, was charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter. Police believe he killed 58-year-old Herbert Chavez on April 14 by driving over his unconscious body at home near Doña Ana Road.
Jordan was also charged with one count of aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault upon a peace officer, and two counts of aggravated battery upon a peace officer. Those charges stemmed from the alleged chase from a burrito shop on El Paseo Road up to the Mesilla Valley Mall.
Jordan was arrested at the conclusion of the chase. He remains in the Doña Ana County Detention Center as of the publication of this article. He will face a judge on April 17. There, prosecutors will likely request that a judge order him detained without a chance for release.
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After his arrest, Jordan told detectives he walked to Chavez' residence on the 300 block of Richard Road Friday evening, according to an affidavit written by Det. Diana Renteria. Renteria’s affidavit did not indicate what relationship existed between Jordan and Chavez.
Jordan told detectives that he found Chavez lying outside his red Dodge minivan. Jordan said he believed Chavez “nodded off” but believed he was alive after hearing moaning and groaning sounds coming from Chavez.
Jordan said he tried to move Chavez but gave up when he decided Chavez was too heavy. He then laid Chavez on the ground and got into the minivan. Jordan told police that he knew he rolled over Chavez when he reversed the vehicle but thought he ran over Chavez’ foot. Still, he told police he continued to drive away.
After he left, a neighbor noticed Chavez lying near his driveway and called 911. When police arrived, they found Chavez dead and his vehicle missing.
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Meanwhile, Jordan had stopped for gas and then made a stop at the Doña Ana County Detention Center. Renteria’s affidavit did not indicate why Jordan stopped at the jail. But from there, Jordan headed to Burritos Victoria on the corner of El Paseo Road and East Idaho Avenue. There, police spotted Chavez’ minivan and moved to arrest Jordan.
According to Renteria’s affidavit, two LCDP officers initiated a “high-risk stop,” which means the officers believed they could be in danger. Sergeant Horacio Rivera and Officer Joshua Nanez told Renteria when they approached Jordan, he fled immediately.
Rivera said that Jordan drove on the wrong side of the road near Missouri Avenue and Triviz Drive. Rivera also said Jordan tried to ram his police vehicle before entering the Mesilla Valley Mall parking lot. There, Nanez said Jordan rammed his police car twice and nearly hit another officer before Nanez managed to disable the vehicle via a PIT maneuver.
Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Details emerge from car chase after body discovered in Las Cruces
