A routine traffic stop in Whiteville spiraled into a felony case Wednesday afternoon after police say 35-year-old Angel Arellano fled toward Davis Avenue and rammed one of the patrol cars chasing him. He was booked into the Columbus County Detention Center that evening and now faces a lengthy list of charges, including felony fleeing to elude arrest.
According to Columbus County News, Whiteville police attempted to stop Arellano for a traffic violation when he instead fled the scene, heading for Davis Avenue. Police say Arellano rammed one of the patrol cars pursuing him, leaving the vehicle with minor damage, before he was ultimately taken into custody without further incident. A 19-year-old passenger riding along in Arellano's Ford Ranger was not charged with any offenses, per the same account.
A Long List of Charges
Arellano is facing felony fleeing to elude arrest, two counts of assault on a government official, hit and run, driving while license revoked, fictitious tags, and no insurance, the outlet reports. He gave two addresses to investigators — 256 Brittany Lane and 620 Davis Ave. in Whiteville. Public jail booking records reviewed by the Columbus County Ledger show he was processed into the Columbus County Detention Center at 5:23 p.m. on Tuesday under booking ID 84391, roughly three hours after the 2 p.m. chase, and held under a $50,000 secured bond.
Why the Charges Reach Felony Level
Fleeing to elude arrest under North Carolina General Statute § 20-141.5 is typically only a Class 1 misdemeanor, but it escalates to a Class H felony when two or more statutory aggravating factors are present, such as driving while license revoked or reckless driving, according to the UNC School of Government. Because Arellano was also charged with driving while license revoked for a non-impaired reason — an explicit aggravating factor under G.S. § 20-28(a) — that secondary charge is what pushes his eluding case into felony territory rather than a misdemeanor.
The two assault counts stem from the alleged ramming of the patrol car. Assault on a government officer or employee discharging official duties is a Class A1 misdemeanor under North Carolina General Statute § 14-33(c)(4), carrying a maximum penalty of up to 150 days in jail, according to the Beaver Courie Law Firm. Separately, his hit-and-run charge falls under North Carolina General Statute § 20-166(c), which classifies leaving the scene of a crash resulting in property damage as a Class 1 misdemeanor requiring drivers to remain at the scene or immediately notify law enforcement.
Local Enforcement and Recent Pursuits
The Whiteville Police Department, which initiated the stop and made the arrest, operates under Police Chief Paul Rockenbach, who leads the department's administrative and investigative divisions, according to the City of Whiteville. Whiteville is the county seat of rural Columbus County in southeastern North Carolina, roughly 45 miles inland from Wilmington, and is served primarily by Whiteville police alongside the Columbus County Sheriff's Office.
Vehicle pursuits following traffic stops have been a recurring issue in the county. In June, law enforcement pursued suspect Billy Jay Wright along Swamp Fox Highway East before taking him into custody in a rural driveway on felony fleeing charges, as reported by Columbus County News. In February 2025, a high-speed chase that began in neighboring Robeson County crossed into Columbus County before officers safely apprehended the driver, illustrating how pursuits in the region frequently cross municipal and county lines.
Whiteville police also maintain a municipal surveillance network of nine automated license plate reader cameras — eight fixed and one mobile — operating under Flock Safety contract technology and a written department directive revised in September 2025, according to city public records. It remains unclear whether those cameras or dashcam systems captured the collision with the patrol vehicle during Wednesday's chase, and it has not been reported whether the 19-year-old passenger in Arellano's truck gave a statement to investigators.
