MAN ARRESTED AFTER FLEEING FROM SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN SAN ELIZARIO, TX
3850 Justice El Paso, TX 79938 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Direct: (915) 538-2119
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)
EMAIL: jtovar@epcounty.com
Website: EPCSO.ORG
Release Date / Time: Friday, February 5, 2010 11:25 AM
SECTION: El Paso County Sheriff's Office (LOWER VALLEY PATROL / STI’s)
EVENT: SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN SAN ELIZARIO, TX
LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE: 500 block of Borrego San Elizario, TX
DATE / TIME: Friday, February 5, 2010 1:28 AM
RESULT: ARREST MADE / Investigation Continues
SAN ELIZARIO, TX- Early Friday morning 02-05-10 at 1:28 AM, Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 500 block of Borrego, San Elizario, TX in reference to a single Motor Vehicle Accident (rollover) with serious injuries. Responding Deputies arrived on scene moments later & observed a white pick-up truck with heavy damage all around. Deputies also saw a male subject fleeing from the accident site running towards nearby residences. A Sheriff’s Deputy gave chase on foot but lost sight of the fleeing subject in the dark neighborhood. The Deputy thru dispatch operators put out a description of the subject to responding units.
Assisting Deputies located a second male occupant trapped inside the wreckage (white 1998 Dodge pick-up truck) with serious injuries. The San Elizario Volunteer Fire Department along with Life Ambulance arrived on the scene & began tending to the subject. Fire Officials had to use the jaws of life to extract the 22 year-old male occupant from the wreckage. He was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. His identity will not be released at this time. Special Traffic Investigators were summoned to the scene due to the seriousness of the accident.
Deputies continued a neighborhood search for the subject who initially fled from authorities. Deputies located that subject hiding in a property across the street from the accident site. He was identified as JOSE MANUEL MENDEZ (27) of the 11000 block of Flor Del Rio San Elizario, TX. MENDEZ who sustained a large laceration to the left portion of his face was arrested & charged with EVADING ARREST / DETENTION.
At this time, Special Traffic Investigator’s are continuing with the investigation. It has been determined that MENDEZ was also an occupant of the vehicle but it remains unclear who was driving at the time of the accident or if there were other occupants in the truck who managed to flee prior to Deputies arrival.
Preliminary information indicates the 1998 Dodge pick-up truck was being driven at high speeds traveling northbound on Borrego when the driver lost control & slammed into a wall causing the truck to roll-over once.
STI’s HAVE BEEN WORKING OVERNIGHT / MORNING CONTINUING WITH THE INVESTIGATION
AT THIS TIME, IT APPEARS AS IF SPEED & ALCOHOL ARE FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT.
AN ATTEMPT TO UPDATE THIS CASE WILL BE MADE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
NO OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
ARRESTED:
JOSE MANUEL MENDEZ (27)
Remains at a local hospital under the watch of EPCSO Detention Officers
(Mugshot of MENDEZ from a previous arrest)
CHARGE: EVADING ARREST / DETENTION: $2,500 BOND
PHOTOS BELOW: COURTESY EPCSO
END OF NEWS RELEASE
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.