A Leesville man is accused of throwing packages of marijuana-type products and other illegal narcotics wrapped in candy-like packaging of out a car window after he refused to stop for police and evaded them during a 60-mile chase on Friday, authorities said.
The man eventually stopped the car and ran before an officer with the Seguin Police Department captured him on Friday night, Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Narcotics Lt. John Flores said in a news release.
The chase began on Interstate 10 in Guadalupe County and went through to Gonzales County, where Patrick Eugene Ford, 19, was arrested, Flores said.
Investigators seized 864 grams of THC-infused edibles; 179.53 grams of THC liquid, 4 grams of THC cartridge/liquid, 5.9 grams of marijuana with THC Kief in pre-rolled cigarettes, 6.13 grams of Ecstasy, 2.73 grams of THC wax, 567.68 grams of marijuana, and 4.94 grams of Xanax pills, Flores said.
Much of the alleged contraband was packaged to look like sweet treats.
“That’s what they’re made to look like, Skittles and chips, but it’s all THC extract,” Flores said. “It’s really not Skittles. The packaging may look that way but there’s something off about it.
“It’s all THC products.”
The incident began about 10:35 p.m. on Friday when Guadalupe Narcotics Task Force Highway Investigation Officer Clayton Deagen tried to make a traffic stop on a red 2016 Toyota Scion due to alleged traffic violations near I-10’s mile marker 596, Flores wrote.
The car’s driver continued on through Wilson and Gonzales counties, with the driver allegedly tossing “multiple packages containing marijuana, THC (the mind-altering ingredient in marijuana) extract-style products and various designer illegal narcotic drugs” out of the vehicle, Flores said.
The car stopped and the man got out and ran into some nearby brush, the lieutenant said.
“It was a long pursuit,” Flores said. “Because we got (the Texas Department of Public Safety) involved with it, they were able to get a helicopter with us. That’s kind of the reason we were able to stay with it because we had the helicopter overhead.”
Ford was tracked down and arrested. He was taken to the Guadalupe County Jail and is facing four counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 2 between 4-400 grams; and one count each of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 2 greater than 400 grams; manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 2 between 1-4 grams; evading arrest or detention with a vehicle; evading arrest or detention; manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance penalty group 3/4, less than 28 grams; possession of marijuana, between 2-4 ounces; and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, according to the jail’s online records.
He remained held Tuesday afternoon under bonds totaling $195,000, according to the records.