Police: Local men involved in wrong-way pursuit in Isleta

Two Los Lunas men were arrested earlier this week after a wrong-way pursuit on Interstate 25 involving four law enforcement agencies.

Jason Ramirez, 33, of Los Lunas, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault upon a peace officer, aggravated assault upon a peace officer to commit a violent felony, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

An arrest warrant was issued for Ramirez by the Second Judicial District Court in Bernalillo County before he was charged.

Daniel Sanchez, 37, of Los Lunas, a passenger in the car Ramirez was driving, was arrested on an unrelated felony warrant.

At around 12:30 a.m., on Monday, April 4, a Los Lunas Police Department officer tried to make a traffic stop of a red Hyundai sedan on the 700 block of South Los Lentes. The sedan had been reported as stolen and the driver fled, pursued by the LLPD officer and deputies from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office.

Eventually, the Hyundai went northbound on Interstate 25 and both LLPD and VCSO stopped their pursuit. They alerted the Isleta Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office about the stolen vehicle entering their jurisdictions.

An IPD officer near Broadway Boulevard approaching the interstate saw the Hyundai and attempted to stop it.

The car then headed southbound on northbound I-25, nearly hitting a second IPD officer’s car.

Near mile marker 213, the driver of the Hyundai drove toward two IPD officers parked on the northbound shoulder. One of the officers shot at the car but it continued south and exited the interstate at Isleta Boulevard.

BCSO deputies began pursuing the car and deployed tire deflation devices successfully, but the driver of the Hyundai continued to flee east on Rio Bravo Boulevard, trying to get onto I-25. Deputies then did a pursuit intervention technique, which forced the vehicle to stop on the Rio Bravo on ramp.

Ramirez got out of the car and fled on foot. He was taken into custody by BCSO deputies after a short pursuit. Ramirez was transported to a hospital, where he was treated for injuries not related to the incident, according to a press release from the New Mexico State Police, and he was not shot by the IPD officer.

In addition to Ramirez and Sanchez, a man and woman were in the car. They were detained and released. None of the officers involved in the pursuit were injured.

The NMSP investigations bureau is investigating the events that led up to the IPD officer firing his gun, and throughout the process, investigative findings are shared with the district attorney for their review and consideration, according to the same press release.