Deputy is arrested, accused of racing while in uniform

A Harris County Precinct 4 constable’s deputy is accused of racing at more than 100 mph on a highway while wearing his uniform, Harris County Sheriff ’s Office officials said.

It was the deputy’s second arrest on reckless driving-related charges since 2021.

Christopher Ricardo Rojas, 23, was pulled over by deputies after allegedly racing down the Sam Houston Tollway late Friday night, according to senior deputy Thomas Gilliland, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

A representative for Rojas’ attorney in a prior criminal case declined to provide contact information for the deputy.

Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman in a prepared statement said Rojas would be held accountable if found he did what he’s accused of.

“We hold the members of our department to a very high standard,” he said.

These allegations will be investigated by internal affairs and, if substantiated, he’ll be held accountable, he said.

Sheriff’s office patrol deputies around 11:30 p.m. Friday had been monitoring a parking lot of vehicles in the 15900 block of Old Humble Road when they saw four vehicles leave, Gilliland said. Two of those vehicles — a Mustang and a Camaro — pulled ahead of the other vehicles and got onto the Sam Houston Tollway. The two then began racing, exceeding 100 mph, before sheriff’s deputies pulled them over and arrested them.

Rojas was not on duty at the time but was wearing his uniform, Gilliland said. Because of that, sheriff’s deputies contacted officials at Precinct 4 during the arrest. He was charged with racing on a highway, a misdemeanor.

The Precinct 4 deputy had previously been arrested and charged with reckless driving in 2021, according to court records. That case was eventually dismissed, with prosecutors saying he had completed the terms of the dismissal.

Herman said the charge came two years before he was hired by the office, and it was dismissed by a court of law.