A chaotic scene unfolded in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as a suspected car thief led police on a high-speed chase, leaving a trail of destruction and anger in his wake. The incident began just after 7:00 a.m., when officers responded to reports of a stolen vehicle.
Police apprehending a suspect after a high-speed chase.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cody Jimenez, immediately sped off, ramming into a patrol car and multiple other vehicles in his attempt to evade arrest. Police pursued Jimenez through the city streets, the chase captured on police dashcam footage.
One officer described the scene, recalling how Jimenez “looked right at me [and] takes off.” The officer continued, “We got to Aven… yeah, I was behind him on Aven and then I saw him turn on W so I hit my lights off.” The chase escalated as Jimenez sped through residential areas, forcing other drivers to swerve out of his path.
Aftermath of a car crash with visible damage.
Jimenez’s reckless driving ultimately led him to a dead end on a nearby road. Another officer recounted Jimenez “hit[ting] the cars on his own… he couldn’t take [the] corner I guess ‘cuz he rolls up on him in between two cars that were parked.” The officer went on to describe how Jimenez “pulls up behind him and then I just happened to see his unit so I pull up and he was boom right in the lawn’s unit.”
With nowhere left to go, Jimenez was apprehended by officers, who struggled to restrain him. “Get your hands off! Get your hands off! Hands off!” an officer can be heard shouting on body camera footage. Jimenez, seemingly unfazed by the gravity of the situation, retorted with expletives and defiance.
Police officer talking to a suspect during an arrest.
During a search, officers discovered a bandana-wrapped lock and two pipes in Jimenez’s possession, raising suspicions of further criminal activity. “What’s your name? …Come on, man. Get up. You have to get up. …You got anything in your po-… You prick me or stick me! What the hell is wrong with you?” the officer questioned, his frustration evident.
Jimenez, seemingly oblivious to the danger he placed others in, responded, “I didn’t know what you… you guys don’t play stupid with me. What I do? I didn’t do nothing after I took off [in] the damn car.” The incident left one officer injured, requiring medical attention for a bleeding wound sustained during Jimenez’s apprehension.
As EMTs arrived to assess Jimenez’s condition, the extent of the damage he caused became apparent. Multiple vehicles were left with significant damage, including a white van whose driver was on his way to work when Jimenez slammed into him.
Police officers assessing the damage of a car crash.
“So were you headed this way, sir?” an officer asked the visibly shaken driver. “Yes, I was headed this way, okay,” the driver responded. He went on to describe how Jimenez came “speeding pretty fast,” catching his attention. “He got in the left-right hand lane and he made a left-hand turn, and when I seen what he was doing I show to my right and then he hit me,” the driver recounted.
Another resident, who witnessed the entire ordeal, described the scene as “the truck starts coming so I- I hear I hear the like tire is spin and then I look it out and [inaudible] the car the white car is going to hit the truck.” The resident estimated Jimenez was traveling at a dangerous “35, 40” miles per hour when he collided with the van.
The chaos didn’t end there. Jimenez’s recklessness extended beyond the initial crash, with the resident detailing how he “started like trying to move in, second cop showed up, second cop showed up and got in back and then the front officer, uh, he catching the dog, um, but he never go, you know, the boat go, you know, he can have AR or something.”
Aftermath of a car crash, showing a damaged white van.
The resident’s account of the damage continued: “I think he hit the front one, okay? That front one because he started like doing back and forth because the first officer coming right behind to him like a trying to box him. Uh-huh, yeah. So I’m pretty sure he hit it and he hit the the the auto truck to the blue one, pick up, yes, it’s right there, in the bumper. Oh, he hit the yeah because I see that truck moving. I I be right here, like I go to work and I see everything.”
To add insult to injury, the owner of the damaged van was informed that Jimenez had also hit his other vehicle, a Silverado. The frustrated owner exclaimed, “Oh, is it that d-uh- no. See? No. Car I just had fixed, somebody hit me at the hospital.”
Following his arrest, Jimenez was taken to the hospital as a precaution to ensure he hadn’t sustained any injuries during the chaotic pursuit. While at the hospital, an officer offered Jimenez some candid advice. “We got to quit this, dude, you know that? Okay? This isn’t your first rodeo. … You’re hanging out with or hooked up on dope, with this is what’s end up back in jail every single time. Is it worth it?” the officer questioned.
The officer continued, “If, um, they ask you if you took anything, just be honest with them. We- we’re not looking to charge you for anything on that side of it, dude. We just- just so in case you like overdose or something happens to your body, man, that we can’t explain, we’d like to know what- what you put in your body, okay? Even if it was just freaking over the counter stuff, but having you, dude, I know your history, just freaking be honest if you took something last night, this morning, whenever just- just tell the doctors in case something happens to you, they know how to help you out, okay?”
After being cleared by medical professionals, Jimenez was booked into jail. He faces a slew of charges, including aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, possession of a stolen vehicle, and aggravated assault on a peace officer. Jimenez pled guilty to all three charges, finally taking responsibility for the havoc he wreaked on the streets of Las Cruces.
