By Lacie Morrison
lmorrison@mineralwellsindex.com
A high-speed chase through Mineral Wells early Wednesday morning ended in the arrest of a Grand Prairie man on multiple charges.
The activity began when officers were responding to a call at 2:44 a.m. to Corrections Corporation of America regarding a man throwing contraband over the fence, Mineral Wells Police Lt. Patrick Adams said. CCA is located in the 700 block of Heintzelman Road in Wolters Industrial Park.
Adams said they were told “a vehicle pulled up and a guy dropped two bags over the fence. They were able get a license plate and description of the vehicle.”
While an officer was en route the pre-parole facility, another officer observed a 2003 Honda four-door vehicle matching the description driving westbound in the 800 block of East Hubbard Street at a high rate of speed.
Because of the vehicle’s speed in a 30 mph zone, Adams said it constituted reckless driving and the officer initiated a pursuit at 2:46 a.m.
“Our units engaged in attempting to stop [the car] but the vehicle fled through town, continuing westbound on [U.S.] 180 to Palo Pinto,” Adams said. A few miles east of Palo Pinto, the lieutenant said they “terminated the pursuit for safety concerns.”
The police official said no other law enforcement agencies were involved in the pursuit. The pursuit ended at 2:57 a.m. and lasted 11 minutes, covering 11 miles.
It wasn’t long after that the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office discovered the speedster parked on the side of the road near Brad.
Adams said they confirmed the vehicle as the same one that the police had pursued. According to officials, the car broke down with mechanical problems. The driver was identified as David Javier Amaya, 23, of Grand Prairie. Javier was placed under arrest for reckless driving, a Class B misdemeanor, and evading arrest with a motor vehicle, a state jail felony.
According to the lieutenant, the case remains under investigation. Additional charges involving the alleged throwing of contraband inside the prison grounds could be filed later.
The two bags thrown over the fence at CCA were recovered, Adams confirmed. The contraband inside consisted of 283 packs of Bugler tobacco, eight Virgin Mobile cell phones and chargers and two cans of Grizzly snuff.
This is the third time in three months CCA has discovered people throwing prohibited items over their fences. In August, a 14-year-old Lancaster youth was apprehended with two footballs stuffed with contraband – including marijuana - in his possession. A 15-year-old was caught in September attempting to throw a black duffle bag over the fence. He told authorities a Houston woman paid him $1,000 to toss the bag over but it was too heavy for him.
A request for comment to CCA was unreturned as of Wednesday afternoon.
