Las Vegas man driving 80 mph during car chase ‘side-swiped’ patrol car: police

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — Las Vegas officers arrested a man after he led police on a car chase, “side-swiping” a patrol car, before hiding in his ex-wife’s apartment, according to police documents.

On Nov. 18 at around 1:40 a.m. a patrol officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was driving near Flamingo Road and Koval Lane when he was told a “reckless driver” was “endangering multiple pedestrians,” according to the report.

The officer located the white Acura SUV with Arizona plates near Flamingo Road and Tuscany Casino Drive, and when the suspect, identified as Robert Gonzalez, did not stop for him or other officers, a police car chase began, the report stated.

Robert Gonzalez faces charges after led police on a car chase, “side-swiping” a patrol car. (LVMPD)

The officer attempted to block Gonzalez, turning on the lights and sirens, but Gonzalez continued, causing multiple minor collisions, according to the report.

At that point, the ground pursuit stopped so officers could render aid or prepare for the suspect to flee on foot. Meanwhile, an air unit followed Gonzalez, and at around 2:30 a.m., they saw him switch to another vehicle, a white Chevrolet Truck belonging to Gonzalez’ father, the report stated.

According to the report, during the pursuit, Gonzalez was driving between 75 and 80 miles per hour.

Officers attempted to stop the truck near Rosewood Drive and Cherokee Avenue. An officer angled his patrol vehicle to block Gonzalez with his lights and sirens. The truck then moved into oncoming traffic to avoid the patrol vehicle, side-swiping the patrol vehicle.

The truck hit the patrol vehicle’s front passenger bumper and buddy bumper. The damage to the patrol vehicle was minor, the report stated.

The air unit then told officers that the driver of the truck left the vehicle and walked into an apartment. Officers arrived at the apartment building and a neighbor told police that a man matching Gonzalez’ description often visited the unit across the hall from him.

When police knocked on the door of the apartment, a woman answered. Police said she appeared to be in emotional distress and told police that her kids were in the apartment sleeping, according to the report.

While she told police she didn’t want them to enter, she pointed and nodded her head toward the rooms inside the apartment. Officers again asked to enter the apartment, and she allowed them in. She continued to cry and pointed to the back room when they asked where Gonzalez was, the report stated.

When police entered the room where Gonzalez was, they saw him lying in bed, holding a small boy. Police said Gonzalez appeared “extremely sweaty” and became “verbally aggressive” toward the officers, according to the report.

Officers told Gonzalez to get off the bed and get away from the boy, to which he replied, “I do not recognize your authority,” the report stated.

He also told police he went to the apartment to “spend the night with [his] kids.”

While Gonzalez argued with officers, the woman grabbed the boy off the bed and away from Gonzalez. Gonzalez continued to argue with police, who took him into custody, according to the report.

The woman told police Gonzalez was her ex-husband and the two shared two children. Both kids lived with her. She told police she was married to Gonzalez for 15 years and they separated three years ago, according to the report.

She told police Gonzalez banged on her apartment door “in a panic,” telling her he was going to prison and needed to see his kids. She said she heard police sirens and a helicopter and asked what he did, but he would not tell her.

Gonzalez faces a charge of driver disobeying a peace officer and endangering other persons/property. His next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 26.