Documents reveal details of tragic Texas DPS pursuit ending in innocent woman's death

New documents detail the law enforcement operation that led to a Texas DPS chase that killed an innocent 44-year-old woman, the first death of an innocent bystander in El Paso since the start of Operation Lone Star three years ago.

According to police documents, it appears like law enforcement had been following 17-year-old Joseph Maldonado, from Horizon City, inconspicuously before they attempted to pull him over triggering a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash- killing innocent bystander Wendy J. Rodriguez.

The documents describe that, on the morning of Oct. 4, U.S. Border Patrol agents and a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter had been following a group of six migrants who were hiding in the brush outside a restaurant located at 2670 Airport Rd. in Santa Teresa, behind a Travelodge Hotel.

At around 7:50 a.m., the document states that Maldonado, driving a red 2010 Dodge Charger, parked in the lot, picking up the migrants from the brush.

The Texas DPS helicopter then reportedly followed Maldonado for five miles, as he drove down Pete V. Domenici Memorial Highway until it turned into Artcraft Road, crossing the New Mexico-Texas state line.

According to the documents, it was at this point that the helicopter informed Texas DPS patrol units on the ground of Maldonado's whereabouts, leading a trooper to attempt a traffic stop, stating that the Charger's high-mounted brake lights were defective or noncompliant.

When the trooper tried to pull the Charger over, Maldonado allegedly floored the accelerator and tried to get away weaving in and out of traffic until it ran a red light at the intersection of Upper Valley and Artcraft Road, crashing into two vehicles- a blue Toyota Corolla and a white Chevrolet pick-up truck, sending the Toyota Corolla into the pole of a traffic light.

After the crash, the document states that troopers arrested Maldonado and the six migrants as they climbed out of the Charger.

At the same time, first responders were trying to rescue Rodriguez who was unresponsive and trapped inside the Corolla.

According to the documents. emergency crews had to use the "jaws of life" to free Rodriguez before rushing her to the hospital.

Unfortunately, Rodriguez was pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m.

After the incident, at a Texas DPS facility, troopers then interviewed Maldonado, who they said admitted to human smuggling, adding that he was getting paid $300 per migrant and that he was communicating with them through WhatsApp.

As the first recorded death of an innocent bystander during a Texas DPS chase in El Paso, the incident drew scrutiny from local political leaders.

"You know, it's very tragic and it's very sad to have heard about this," stated El Paso County Commissioner Sergio Coronado.

Coronado said he and County Commissioner Carlos Leon have both spoken with the state and DPS leaders about pursuits and the dangers they bring to the El Paso community.

"Commissioner Leon and myself have met with the director of DPS for the state, Mr. McCall, and brought up these issues with respect to the safety of other people in the community because of these high-speed chases," said Coronado.

El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar chimed in, saying she was "heartbroken," adding that she has been "sounding the alarm that high-speed vehicle pursuits in urban areas put innocent people at grave risk."

Furthermore, Escobar pointed out that incidents such as these are why numerous law enforcement agencies- including the El Paso County Sheriff's Office- have stopped engaging in high-speed pursuits.

Escobar's full written statement:

I'm heartbroken to learn that an El Pasoan has lost her life as a result of a high-speed chase involving DPS and an El Pason suspected of human smuggling. Too many young people have been lured into human trafficking by cartels and the seemingly easy money it brings them. This not only ruins their lives, but endangers the lives and safety of everyone in El Paso. Today, a family in our community has been dealt a tragic loss from one young man's terrible decision. I have been sounding the alarm that high speed vehicle pursuits in urban areas put innocent people at grave risk. That's why many law enforcement agencies prohibit their officers from engaging in these dangerous pursuits (the El Paso County Sheriff's Office is one locally). And it's why I urged the Department of Homeland Security to modernize its high speed pursuit policies as well - and was grateful they did. These law enforcement agencies that have changed their high-speed pursuit policies in urban areas recognize there are other ways to both fight crime and keep citizens safe on the streets. DPS has engaged recklessly in our community and my office has lodged complaints from El Pasoans who have been wrongly pursued, wrongly arrested, and who have dealt with significant property damage without remedy by DPS. We have forwarded those complaints to the Department of Justice and asked for investigations. TXDPS policies must change - and urgently. My thoughts are with the family of the victim whose life was needlessly cut short today. It should not take the death of an innocent bystander to spur action toward saving lives.

On the day of the incident, KFOX14/CBS4 spoke with people on the street who said that they have become accustomed to these chases and crashes.

"I see these types of accidents every single day when I'm heading to work...I live right down the street there's always DPS in the corners like 24/7 so I mean it distracts its drivers," said El Paso resident Ricardo Gonzalez, adding, "I wish there was a different approach to stopping immigration."

Another El Paso resident said she is afraid of seeing her family members caught in the middle of a dangerous DPS chase.

"It can happen to everybody, like everyone. So of course, nobody wants them to happen to them or their families," said Yukare Coronado.

In the end, Gonzalez feels that while law enforcement agencies fight human smuggling, they are forgetting about the effects these tactics have on the El Paso community.

"The safety of the El Paso community is also at risk and we're just investing so much time and dollars I think to fight immigration but how about the community, we're forgetting about it," said Gonzalez.