A man driving a stolen Chevrolet Sonic allegedly blew through a red light and swerved into oncoming traffic before slamming into three other vehicles on Indianapolis's near southwest side, injuring two people and setting off a chaotic foot chase that ended with officers pointing firearms at him. Cesar Rojas, 32, now faces a felony charge tied to the October 24 crash and pursuit, following a separate pursuit on October 22.
According to court documents cited by Fox 59, the incident began when an Indiana State Police auto theft investigator encountered the Sonic near Belmont Avenue and Morris Street. Troopers had received a Flock camera notification suggesting a yellow 2011 Ford Fiesta traveling southbound on Belmont Avenue near Morris Street had been stolen, but when officers located the flagged license plate, they found it attached to a silver 2015 Chevrolet Sonic instead of the Fiesta. A VIN check later confirmed the Sonic itself had been reported stolen.
When law enforcement attempted to stop the Sonic that day, the driver fled rather than pulling over, and troopers said at the time that the driver's identity had not been independently confirmed. Police ultimately terminated that October 22 pursuit before apprehending the driver, per the same documents.
Chase Resumes Two Days Later at a McDonald's Parking Lot
Indiana State Police encountered Rojas again around noon on October 24 in a McDonald's parking lot in Indianapolis, the documents state. Troopers attempted to box in the Chevrolet Sonic at the lot, but Rojas fled eastbound on Morris Street after police activated their vehicle lights, according to the court filing referenced by the station's report.
During the pursuit, Rojas drove the Sonic over a curb to leave a parking lot. The vehicle then stalled briefly before he got it running again, the documents say. Troopers reported that Rojas was traveling at a high rate of speed relative to the posted limit, ran at least one red light, and drove against traffic in both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the roadway.
Chain-Reaction Crash Injures Two
The documents say Rojas caused a chain-reaction crash involving a 2019 Honda Odyssey, a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a 2023 Chevrolet Equinox. The Equinox driver was hospitalized after sustaining a chest injury, while the Equinox passenger suffered a fractured shoulder and collarbone and was also hospitalized, per the same account.
The Honda Odyssey was carrying seven occupants at the time, including three adults and four juveniles, but none of them sustained serious injuries, the documents state. The Grand Cherokee driver likewise sustained no severe injuries, according to the filing.
After the crash, Rojas attempted to flee the scene on foot, the documents allege. Troopers intercepted him in a nearby alley, where he reportedly surrendered after police pointed firearms at him and ordered him to stop.
Meth Admission and a String of Charges
Rojas admitted to smoking methamphetamine in the hours before the chase, according to court records, but declined to speak further with police after being read his Miranda rights, as WTHR also reported. He had an outstanding arrest warrant at the time of his October 24 arrest.
Rojas was charged with resisting law enforcement with a vehicle with a prior conviction, a Level 4 felony. He also faces resisting law enforcement with a vehicle creating substantial risk of injury, a Level 5 felony; leaving the scene of a crash resulting in moderate or serious bodily injury, a Level 6 felony; leaving the scene of a crash resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor; leaving the scene of a crash, a Class B misdemeanor; and resisting law enforcement, a Class A misdemeanor.
He was taken to Eskenazi Hospital for a medical evaluation before being booked and held at the Marion County Adult Detention Center, the court documents indicate.
Initial Hearing and Bond Set at $256,000
A court held an initial hearing in Rojas's case on Wednesday. Judges ordered him held without bond for 15 days, after which his bond will be set at $256,000 cash, the documents state. If bond is posted, Rojas will be subject to GPS monitoring through Marion County Community Corrections' home detention program.
Court records cited in the documents also reference Rojas's criminal history, saying he violated probation terms in a previous case in which he faced nine charges. He pleaded guilty to two of those charges in January 2025 and was sentenced to 720 days in the Indiana Department of Correction. IDOC records show he had an earliest possible release date of May 25, 2027, but according to the same records, he was released before that date for reasons that were unclear. IDOC records also indicate Rojas served multiple prior prison sentences, including for offenses dating as far back as 2012.
