AURORA | A Denver man is being held in jail after Aurora police say he broke into an Aurora home, threatening a man and then returned hours later armed with guns only to lead police on a high-speed chase that ended with his arrest.
Anthony Herrera-Mestas, 33, was arrested Feb. 17 and faces charges of second-degree burglary, second-degree kidnapping, two counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, vehicular eluding, obstructing a peace officer and reckless driving, according to an Arapahoe County arrest affidavit.
A man living in a house in the 2400 block of South Memphis Way called dispatchers at about 2 a.m. Feb. 17 to say that someone who had broken into his house earlier in the evening was back trying to get in the front door.
The man said Herrera-Mestas had come through his garage door at about 8 p.m. earlier.
Herrera-Mestas “forcibly kicked down the locked rear door to the garage, which connects into the residence and entered the garage,” police said in the affidavit. The resident of the house came into the garage and Herrera-Mestas told him “to ‘get the f*** out of my house’ numerous times despite being the one to force entry into the residence.”
The man pepper-sprayed Herrera-Mestas and he fled, the man told police.
Police said Herrera-Mestas had no claims to the house.
The man told police he knew Herrera-Mestas only by his first name and described him as a “friend of a friend,” police said.
He told police he believed Herrera-Mestas intended to loot the residence and claim items from inside.
Hours later, at about 2 a.m. the man called dispatchers and said Herrera-Mestas was back and trying to break in through the front door.
Police in the area responded immediately with lights and sirens.
Investigators said Herrera-Mestas heard the sirens and ran for his nearby pickup truck to get away.
As many as five police cars chased after Herrera-Mestas and tried to force him to pull over, but he tried to race away, according to police.
Officers chased Herrera-Mestas and another man inside the pickup for about 4 miles, at one point going 105 mph in a 45 mph zone, running “multiple” red lights along South Buckley Road and East Mississippi Avenue, police reported.
Officers implemented a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) near East Sixth Avenue and North Nucla Way, causing the truck to spin and stop on a median.
Herrera-Mestas fled on foot but was apprehended after what police described as a lengthy chase.
Police said he was wearing a tactical vest with rifle plates and carrying a shotgun shell.
Officers found a loaded handgun and a shotgun on the driver’s side of the pickup’s floorboard within the driver’s reach.
A passenger in the pickup told police he asked Herrera-Mestas multiple times to pull over so he could get out during the pursuit but was ignored.
Police allege Herrera-Mestas’ actions amounted to second-degree kidnapping because he continued driving at high speeds despite the passenger’s requests to exit.
It’s unclear if the truck passenger will also face charges in the case.
Herrera-Mestas has numerous prior convictions and pending charges out of Pueblo, including burglary, child abuse, assault, theft and car theft.
Herrera-Mestas is being held at Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $53,500 bond.
Wow! Thank you, Aurora Police Officers.
Thankful that he did not kill innocent people proceeding through their green signals.
Wish we couldearn why? On some drug?