Stolen Orange machinery, Beaumont vehicle located in Winnie pursuit

Aug. 15, Chambers County Sheriff’s Office deputies observed two pickups operating westbound on Interstate 10 near Winnie, towing welding machine trailers that did not have license plates affixed to the rear of the trailer. A routine check of the vehicle registrations revealed that both pickups, a 2002 GMC Sierra and a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado, were reported stolen out of Houston and Beaumont.

Two deputies in separate vehicles attempted traffic stops, at which time both suspect vehicles fled. Simultaneous pursuits continued westbound and, at times, the second stolen pickup, operated by Mike Zamora, attempted to ram the primary pursuing deputy in a style similar to a law enforcement Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT), the sheriff’s office reported.

As deputies continued the pursuit on Interstate 10, the secondary vehicle exited at SH 61 and continued west before rolling the trailer and fleeing into the woods near the Trinity River Bridge. One juvenile subject was taken into custody and a perimeter was set for the second.

While multiple deputies, troopers, game wardens, and Baytown police officers held their perimeter and deployed a K-9, other deputies continued pursuing the first vehicle into the Houston area. The suspect attempted to cut through a parking lot, where he also rolled the trailer he was towing. The driver of the first vehicle then stopped his flight and was taken into custody without incident. An inventory of his vehicle recovered additional narcotics and charges were filed.

Following both pursuits, the driver of the secondary vehicle was unable to be located and the perimeter was dissolved. Approximately three hours later, a Texas Game Warden on patrol in the area of FM 1409 and Interstate 10 located a subject who was wet and matched the description of the driver of the stolen vehicle walking westbound on the outside shoulder of Interstate 10.

Further investigation revealed that the subject located was the driver of the second vehicle that attempted to strike the primary pursuing deputy. Both vehicles were recovered and the welding machines that were attached to the trucks were found to have been stolen out of Orange just prior to the beginning of the pursuits.

Following the conclusion of the investigation, Julian Aguirre and Zamora were taken into custody and transported to the Chambers County Jail. A single juvenile male was released from the scene to his mother.