A suspected robbery investigation ended with a wreck and two arrests in Northeast El Paso on Monday, after police say the men refused a traffic stop and crashed their vehicle. Both suspects remain jailed as investigators continue piecing together the robbery that allegedly set the encounter in motion.
According to KFOX14/CBS4, officers with the El Paso Police Department's Auto Theft Task Force and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers tried to stop the vehicle in the 8600 block of Dyer Street near Angel's Triangle. Police identified the suspects as 22-year-old Angel Aaron Flores of Horizon City and 18-year-old Rafael De Jesus Bustillos of San Elizario.
The two men were being investigated in connection with an aggravated robbery reported Sunday. The attempted stop reportedly ended when the vehicle crashed and was left undrivable, allowing officers to take both men into custody.
Crash Near Angel's Triangle Ended The Attempted Escape
The available account does not say how long the vehicle traveled after officers attempted the stop or whether anyone was hurt in the collision. It does establish that the crash occurred during the effort to detain the two men and that the vehicle could not continue.
Details about the underlying robbery, including the alleged victim, location, property taken and any weapon involved, had not been released in the initial report. Investigators were still working to develop that portion of the case, according to KFOX.
Flores And Bustillos Face Different Charges
Jail records reviewed by KFOX14/CBS4 list Flores as facing aggravated robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, and failing to stop and render aid after a crash involving injury. His bond amounts were still pending.
Bustillos is listed as facing aggravated robbery, evading arrest or detention, and assaulting a peace officer or judge. His combined bond was set at $61,000, and both men remained in the El Paso County jail.
Charges Are Allegations, Not Convictions
Under the Texas Penal Code, aggravated robbery is generally a first-degree felony when the offense involves serious bodily injury, a deadly weapon, or certain protected victims. The state's aggravated assault statute generally classifies an assault involving a deadly weapon as a second-degree felony, subject to circumstances that can increase the charge.
The arrests do not establish guilt, and the robbery allegations may change as detectives gather additional evidence. Court records and any later police updates are expected to clarify what investigators say happened before the traffic stop.
