A late-night shots fired call on a Kemah side street turned into a highway pursuit early Sunday, ending with two people in custody on State Highway 146, according to authorities. Officers were dispatched just after 1:30 a.m. to the intersection of Sixth Street and Bradford Avenue, where they reported seeing a 2024 blue Nissan Sentra leaving the area. What began as a traffic stop became a chase southbound on State Highway 146 that wrapped up in the highway's 100 block with help from state troopers.
How police say the chase unfolded
The Kemah Police Department identified the two people arrested as 28-year-old Nathaniel Gemmel and 26-year-old Erin Cortez Anciso. Officers say the pair took off after the traffic stop was initiated, heading south on SH 146 until the pursuit ended in the highway's 100 block. Both were given a $15,000 bond, according to reporting by FOX 26 Houston.
Charges and potential penalties
Gemmel was booked on a deadly conduct charge, while Anciso faces an evading charge, both of which are prosecutable offenses under state law. Texas Penal Code §22.05 distinguishes between reckless acts and knowingly firing a weapon, treating reckless behavior that puts others in imminent danger as a Class A misdemeanor and a knowing discharge at a person or an occupied structure as a third-degree felony, as outlined by Justia. Evading arrest or detention is covered in Texas Penal Code §38.04 and can be charged as anything from a misdemeanor to a felony when a vehicle is involved or serious injury occurs, with the statute laying out the factors prosecutors look at. These remain allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Where it happened
State Highway 146 cuts through Kemah as the main north-south corridor, running past the waterfront and the Kemah Boardwalk and carrying a mix of local and through traffic that can be quickly snarled by police activity. Pursuits on SH 146 are particularly likely to touch nearby businesses and commuters in the Lighthouse District. The City of Kemah's official site notes municipal offices and points to State Highway 146 as a central route through town, where local officials often coordinate with county and state agencies when incidents occur there. City of Kemah
What comes next
Both suspects were booked into the county system, and early reports did not list any injuries connected to the incident. Booking information and the listed charges were released to local media and reported by FOX 26 Houston, citing the Kemah Police Department. From here, officials typically forward investigative reports to the county or district attorney, who will decide whether to seek formal indictments or add any further charges.
