Chase, shooting snarl I-25 traffic
No one injured in incident that started in San Jose, ended near Algodones; traffic tied up for hours during investigation
A man suspected of robbing a convenience store and stealing a pickup fled law enforcement officers across three counties before he was arrested near Algodones.
A Texas man suspected of robbing a San Miguel County convenience store and stealing the owner’s pickup fled law enforcement officers across three counties Tuesday morning in a chase that included an exchange of gunfire before authorities finally arrested him near Algodones in Sandoval County.
No one was hurt in the incident, said New Mexico State Police spokeswoman Lt. Elizabeth Armijo, who identified the suspect as Lane Reed, about 24 years old.
Video footage on television news outlets Tuesday evening showed about a dozen bullet holes on the driver’s side of the stolen Dodge Ram pickup, including several around the gas tank. Armijo said bullet holes also were found in law enforcement vehicles.
“It was a very, very threatening situation,” Armijo said. “The officers felt threatened; their lives were in danger and this was a very dangerous individual. He was shooting at officers. He was putting people’s lives in danger, not just law enforcement, but the public at large.”
While no one was hit by gunfire, Armijo said, Reed was taken to a hospital for unexplained reasons.
The aftermath of the chase blocked Interstate 25 for hours, backing up traffic for miles on the main highway between Santa Fe and Albuquerque before all lanes of the highway were reopened in time for the evening rush hour.
The incident began around 8:30 a.m., Armijo said, when
Lane robbed retailer Pecos River Station near San Jose at gunpoint. She said Lane took off in the owner’s pickup along with a firearm.
Armijo said that after police dispatchers sent out an alert about the robbery, at least one Santa Fe County sheriff ’s deputy spotted the stolen Dodge Ram around 10 a.m. near La Cienega southwest of Santa Fe. Sheriff ’s deputies pursued the vehicle southbound on the interstate, Armijo said, and state police joined the chase for about 25 miles. Armijo said Lane began firing at officers from the stolen vehicle, and officers returned fire.
She said at least one Santa Fe County sheriff ’s deputy and one state police officer fired weapons.
The pickup came to a stop near the exit for Algodones, north of Bernalillo, where officers eventually were able to take Reed into custody, she said.
One northbound lane of I-25 was open while all southbound lanes in the area were closed.
After the bullet-riddled Dodge Ram was taken off the highway, the interstate was reopened.
Staff reporter Sami Edge contributed to this report.
Contact Justin Horwath at 505-986-3017 or jhorwath@sfnewmexican.com.
Contact Uriel Garcia at 505-986-3062 or ugarcia@sfnewmexican.com.