Police: Armed suspect wanted to ‘go out with a bang’
Texas man who allegedly robbed convenience store wanted on warrants
New Mexico State Police say a Texas man who exchanged gunfire with pursuing law enforcement officers after robbing the owner of a San Jose convenience store this week was the subject of numerous felony warrants in other states, including several armed robberies in Texas.
After police captured Lane Reed, 23, on Interstate 25 near Algodones on Tuesday, “he told officers he knew he was wanted by law enforcement and he wanted to ‘go out with a bang,’ ” said a statement issued by Lt. Elizabeth Armijo.
“Reed had numerous felony warrants from across the nation for crimes including robbery, aggravated battery, and aggravated motor vehicle theft,” the release said, adding that the suspect had threatened “suicide by cop.”
Police say Reed also is suspected in the armed robbery Monday of a Raton gas station in which the thief was driving a Toyota sedan with Florida license plates. A car matching that description was later found near the Pecos River Station convenience store in southern San Miguel County after it was robbed Tuesday morning.
Police said the Toyota had been reported stolen Sunday in Denver, where a suspect matching Reed’s description brandished a firearm before taking the car from its occupants at a gas station.
Police gave the following account of Tuesday’s incident, which they said began around 8:30 a.m. when Reed pointed a silver revolver at a female child with a clerk at Pecos River Station and demanded cash and car keys. After the clerk gave him about $250 cash, he then took the keys to the store owner’s 2014 Dodge pickup, along with a 9 mm pistol belonging to the store owner.
Santa Fe County sheriff ’s deputies later spotted the truck on the west frontage road of I-25 near La Cienega, after which Reed tried to elude the deputies by turning onto a dead-end road in the Waldo area. After firing multiple gunshots at deputies, Reed then drove southbound on I-25 and began firing more rounds at deputies when they tried to stop him at the Santo Domingo exit.
After state police joined the chase, Reed fired at officers a third time, but he stopped and surrendered near Algodones after a state police officer returned fire through his windshield.
The police statement said officers recovered a revolver and money at locations along I-25 where Reed was seen throwing items out his window.
Police said Reed was booked into the Sandoval County jail on charges stemming from Tuesday’s incident as well as numerous warrants from other states.