Reckless driver faces slew of charges after three accidents

A Glorieta man accused of reckless driving that resulted in three crashes Monday afternoon faces nearly a score of criminal charges.

Santa Fe police charged Ruben Mendoza, 41, with four counts of aggravated assault, three counts of reckless driving, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident and a slew of other misdemeanors, according to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court. He faces a total of 19 counts.

Officers confronted Mendoza at the Rancho Zia Mobile Home Park off Calle Po Ae Pi around 4 p.m. Monday after receiving calls from people who said he was trying to break down the office door at the development.

When officers arrived, Mendoza got into a black Land Rover with no license plate and started the vehicle, ignoring officers’ commands to get on the ground. After several minutes, officers were able to arrest Mendoza with the help of a police dog, the complaint stated.

Police connected the Land Rover to several crashes in the area.

Two drivers reported being hit or sideswiped by a man in a black Land Rover earlier Monday afternoon off Airport Road, according to the complaint. Another driver reported being hit off Herrera Drive near Capital High School.

The vehicle Mendoza was driving had signs of significant damage to the front driver’s side, and its airbags had inflated, the complaint stated.

Witnesses in the mobile home park told police they had been threatened by Mendoza. One woman said he had raised a brick over his head and threatened to throw it at her and her vehicle, according to the complaint. Mendoza was booked into the Santa Fe County jail. Court records show he has separate cases pending that include charges of larceny, aggravated fleeing from law enforcement and driving with a revoked license due to a DWI conviction.