Grants man leads police on wild chase

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A high-speed chase through the streets of Grants nearly resulted in several children playing in a city park being struck by a rushing vehicle.

Ramon Martinez, 40, of 313 Elena, Grants, faces a preliminary hearing in Cibola County Magistrate Court on April 8 in connection with three felony charges, including child abuse and battery on a peace officer.

Martinez faces up to 4.5 years in state prison, up to a fine of $15,000, or both, if he is prosecuted and convicted of all charges.

Grants Police Detective Moses Marquez said Martinez, “did not even attempt to stop,” when Sgt. Jason Fank turned on his lights and siren in an attempt to make a traffic stop because Fank knew Martinez had a valid and current arrest warrant.

The chase

Martinez then took Fank on a high-speed chase through Grants streets, including a city park where children were playing, at times reaching a top speed of 80 mph, Marquez said.

Another Grants police officer joined the pursuit and both followed Martinez from Santa Fe Avenue and Hanosh Boulevard onto Balsam Street, and then onto East Sage, going into a field.

“Mr. Martinez thought we could not follow him in the field since he was in a truck and Sgt. Fank was in a patrol car,” Marquez said.

Martinez failed to stop at a stop sign at Sakalares Boulevard, turned onto Jelso Avenue and hit 80 mph, according to Magistrate Court records.

Martinez then struck a parked white car in the middle of a field and then drove onto Houston Avenue, court records state.

He then drove onto Elm Street, down a hill, and went into the grass area at a park where four children were playing. All four children started running from the vehicle and none were injured, Marquez said.

This portion of the incident resulted in charge of child abuse, since Martinez’s actions placed the children at risk of injury or death. The incident occurred about 6 p.m., March 13.

Martinez’s vehicle then jumped the curb near Smith’s Food Store and drove onto a vacant field. Several people helped officers by pointing the direction Martinez was driving after police lost sight of him for a few moments, court records state.

The car was finally found deserted in the 1700 block of Encino. Fank looked around the car and saw where Martinez had jumped a fence and started running west in a dirt field heading west toward Lobo Canyon Road. He advised the other officer to continue to look for Martinez and then called for a tow truck for the car.

Martinez found lying in the dirt

A woman told Fank that her mother saw Martinez jumped out of the car and run behind a fence. Other officers were notified and began looking for Martinez in that area.

Fank started tracking Martinez through the field and found him lying face down in the dirt among some weeds.

Fank stated in his police report, filed in Magistrate Court, that he ran to where Martinez was lying in the weeds and placed him into handcuffs.

“I asked him why he did not stop for me and he stated ‘because he knew that he had a warrant and did not want to go back to jail,’ ” Fank stated in his report.

Marquez said warrants are often posted in the police department for officers to review and many officers know what the individuals look like because they have had previous contact with the suspects, often having arrested them, for other violations.

Martinez is charged in connection with: Aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (car), child abuse, both third degree felonies; and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, a fourth degree felony.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.