Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Clovis police and fire crews work retrieving a vehicle from a carport wall on the 1000 block of Cameo Street Wednesday afternoon. The car crashed into the wall when a man involved in a high speed chase jumped out of the still-running vehicle. Nobody was injured in the incident.
CLOVIS - A police chase ended Wednesday morning with a stolen vehicle crashing into a Clovis apartment complex, witnesses said.
A police spokesman said no one was injured.
A Muleshoe man, Ismael Zach Martinez, 34, was arrested and in custody at the Curry County Adult Detention Center early Wednesday afternoon.
The vehicle's owner, Amber Wagley, said she was asleep when a friend called to say her 1993 Mitsubishi Expo LRV had been stolen and was being chased by police.
Wagley said she did not know the suspect.
According to court documents filed Friday in magistrate court:
• Clovis police were patrolling in an unmarked unit on the lookout for Martinez in connection with stolen vehicles and outstanding warrants. He was spotted heading east on Cesar Chavez in the green vehicle later confirmed to be Wagley's.
• The unmarked vehicle followed Martinez and caught up with him at Charlotte Street in the area of the Clovis Apartments. After police turned on emergency equipment to initiate a traffic stop, Martinez picked up speed and fled.
• The pursuit continued east onto Herb Street, with speeds nearing 65 mph. Martinez turned onto Elm Street, and exited the vehicle while it was still in motion. He jumped back into the vehicle briefly when it continued moving, and officers noted he appeared to try to put the vehicle in park before exiting again.
• Police pursued Martinez on foot while the unoccupied vehicle headed down Elm and crashed through a wall into an empty carport at 1009 Cameo.
The resident of that property declined comment on the scene to The News, other than to say nobody was injured.
• Martinez was captured after he was tased in the alley of Willow Street. A search of the vehicle produced .45 caliber ammunition and a temporary license plate that came back to a truck reported stolen Tuesday and involved in a chase with Curry County Sheriff's Office deputies that night.
Police on scene did not answer questions, and outside of identifying Martinez follow-up inquiries to the CPD have not been returned.
Court records show Martinez has outstanding warrants alleging false imprisonment and armed robbery. He is also now charged with aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, receiving or transferring stolen vehicles or motor vehicle, retaining stolen property, reckless driving, no license, no insurance, failure to obey traffic control devices and resisting, evading or obstructing a police officer.
