SAN ANTONIO — A 19-year-old charged with fleeing from police in a stolen truck remains jailed on bonds totaling more than $20,000.
Esteban De La Cruz was arrested Wednesday after a pursuit that started in the area near 281 and Jones Maltsberger and ended in a backyard across town on Austin Highway near Perrin Beitel.
Bob Tolar was working in his yard when he heard the police helicopter in a low, tight circle hovering overhead.
"There were ten to 15 police cars with lights and sirens going off and actually I was going in the house to get a gun but I didn't have time," Tolar said.
The young man being pursued ran through Tolar's yard and was taken down by DPS Troopers and San Antonio Police.
"To me it looked textbook. They told him get on the ground. He did, he complied. They cuffed him up. It happened quick," Tolar said.
A friend who was working alongside Tolar said "This kid hopped this back fence over here and started running towards us and then four cops jumped over the fence, started following him and they were no more than 50 feet behind him," John said, adding "He was fenced in, in that back place and he kind of gave up. He had to have been scared."
"The cops pulled out their Tasers, and you know he hit the floor. So they killed it. It just brought so much joy to me, our cops still protecting us and keeping us safe, so thank you guys," John said.
Police said the owner of the stolen vehicle was notified and they were able to recover the truck. The report doesn't reflect whether the truck sustained much damage, but police did indicate the vehicle struck a second vehicle along the way as the pursuit continued through a parking lot.
De La Cruz, who has no previous criminal history on the Bexar County Clerk's website, is due in court for his next hearing on June 4.