Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun
LOVINGTON — In a seemingly ironic turn of events, a Lovington man was arrested after he called dispatch, said there was an emergency, and when police located him he lead them on a high-speed chase.
Francisco Vasquez-Martinez Jr., 41, was arrested Feb. 26 and charged with aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, a fourth-degree felony; aggravated DWI, reckless driving, two counts of failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to maintain traffic lane, open container, carless driving and resisting evading or obstructing an officer, all misdemeanors.
Around 1:23 p.m., Feb. 26, LPD officers responded to the 900 block of West Ave. D in reference to Vasquez-Martinez Jr. who contacted Lea County Communication Authority about an emergency.
Dispatch told officers the reporting person said he was in a blue Charger heading east.
Officers located the vehicle, later identified as being driven by Vasquez-Martinez Jr., in the area of South 5th St. and West Ave. D, traveling at a high rate of speed, in the outside lane of traffic, passing a parked vehicle.
Police reported as Vasquez-Martinez Jr. passed a parked vehicle, it came close to colliding and continued west on Ave. D.
Vasquez-Martinez Jr.’s vehicle then slowed to a speed of 30 miles per hour, the report stated.
Vasquez-Martinez Jr. drove through the Allsup’s parking lot, located on the 800 block of West Ave. D, continuing through the parking lot and out, heading south on West Ave. D.
Vasquez-Martinez Jr. continued to lead officers on a chase throughout Lovington, driving recklessly, while traveling into oncoming traffic, almost striking parked vehicles, the report stated. Vasquez-Martinez Jr. finally came to a stop at a home on the 700 block of West Jackson Avenue.
Officers searched the vehicle and found numerous beer cans, and a bottle of tequila in the front passenger seat, the report stated.
When officers initially asked the driver what his name was and he said, “I don’t do heroin.” He was eventually identified as Martinez-Vasquez Jr.
Martinez-Vasquez Jr. told officers he consumed two beers prior to the incident, and refused a field sobriety test, so was placed in handcuffs.
Officers reported Martinez-Vasquez Jr. resisted.
Martinez-Vaquez Jr. was transported to the Lea County Sheriff’s Office where he was given a breathalyzer test.
He told officers they were setting him up, by performing the breathalyzer.
Martinez-Vasquez Jr. asked officers to remove the handcuffs and then tried to fight them when they attempted to remove them, according to the report.
Due to Martinez-Vasquez’s level of intoxication, he was transported to Nor-Lea Hospital.
Martinez-Vasquez Jr. has priors from 2003 where he was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal sexual penetration and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, all fourth-degree felonies.
He was found guilty on the contributing charges and all other charges were dismissed by the prosecutor.
In 2005 he was charged with aggravated DWI, open container and speeding, all misdemeanors. He was found guilty of the aggravated DWI charge and all other charges were dismissed.
For Martinez-Vasquez’s most recent charges, he was released on his own personal recognizance on Feb. 28. He is scheduled for a preliminary examination on March 28 before Lovington Magistrate Keith Clayton.
