A stolen vehicle pursuit out of Houston took a frightening turn once police realized who was in the SUV. Two children, ages 2 and 12, were in the back seat the entire time. The chase didn’t end until the SUV plowed into another vehicle and into a freeway barrier.
According to ABC 13, the pursuit began shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday in Northeast Houston when Robert Gonzales hopped into an unattended red Chevrolet Tahoe and drove off with the children inside. Police pursued the stolen SUV for 17 miles, with Gonzales allegedly reaching speeds up to 110 mph.
The chase eventually ended on the East Freeway, where it collided with a truck carrying two brothers, Bayron Rodriguez and his sibling. Rodriguez, 17, was in the backseat listening to music when the stolen Tahoe suddenly sideswiped their vehicle.
“I was just listening to music in my own world, and out of nowhere, the car hit us from the side,” Rodriguez said.
A Split-Second Crash Ended the Chase
Rodriguez’s brother, who was driving the truck, crashed into the rear of the stolen Tahoe, forcing it into a nearby barrier. Within seconds, the scene went from a high-speed chase to a full police response.
“As soon as he stopped and hit the end, four cop cars surrounded us, and this one cop came up to the driver with a gun pointed at him. It was crazy,” Rodriguez said.
Despite the crash and the speeds involved, no one was seriously hurt, including both children who had been inside the stolen SUV the whole time.
Nobody Realized a Toddler Was in the SUV
Rodriguez said the moment that stuck with him most wasn’t the crash itself; it was learning afterward that a 2-year-old had been in the back seat throughout the entire pursuit. The children’s father told ABC 13 the situation was frightening and that he’s simply thankful his kids made it out safe.
“I was like, ‘I can’t believe there was a baby in the back,” Rodriguez said.
Gonzales was already out on bond, facing four other charges, including two separate evading arrest cases from earlier this year. He’s now facing unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, and two felony counts of endangering a child.
The Comments Were Fascinated by the Chase
Some reactions leaned on the fact that Gonzales already had four charges pending when this happened, with one commenter sarcastically thanking judges and prosecutors for letting him stay out on bond. Most comments focused on the danger of the chase, reacting to how scary the situation must have been for both families, and calling for Gonzales to be locked away for a long time.
For now, Gonzales remains in jail facing four new charges on top of the ones he was already out on bond for, and it’s unclear whether a judge will grant him bond again. Hopefully, this serves as a lesson to Gonzales in the future.