A man accused of leading a police chase from League City to Houston’s southside with an 11-year-old family member in the front seat on Tuesday night has been arrested.
Nicholas Rocha, 34, is charged with evading arrest in a motor vehicle and endangering a child. His bond was set at $200,000 total for the two charges.
The chase started shortly after 7:20 p.m. League City police tried to stop Rocha in the 3400 block of the I-45 Gulf Freeway southbound near FM-646 after finding out he was wanted for two separate crimes.
Rocha was wanted on a class A misdemeanor theft warrant out of Harris County and a class C warrant out of Webster, officials said.
The suspect immediately took off when officers tried to stop him, sparking the chase. Police said he made a U-turn and reached speeds of nearly 100 mph as he headed toward Houston.
When the chase reached the city, the Houston Police Department PIT Maneuver Unit stepped in and stopped Rocha in the 5000 block of I-610 South Loop eastbound at 8:14 p.m.
A PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver is a technique where an officer causes the suspect vehicle to turn sideways abruptly, in hopes that the driver will lose control and stop.
“PIT, PIT, PIT. Driver’s side door open. Driver is coming out, hands up,” officers were heard reporting on radio traffic.
Officers said something was thrown from the car during the chase, but it’s unclear what that was.
Police said the chase lasted over 45 minutes. When Rocha was finally stopped, he complied with officers and was taken into custody.
Rocha’s 11-year-old passenger was not hurt, LCPD said. Officials did not say how the two are related.
The child was released to a family member.
