By KRWG News
Las Cruces – A teenager who struck a Las Cruces Police sergeant and fled from an arrest last Thursday was detained the following day and charged with battering a peace officer.
Dagoberto Nolasco Jimenez, 19, was arrested Friday and is charged with battery upon a peace officer, escape from a peace officer, tampering with evidence, and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. Jimenez is being held on a $20,000 cash-only bond.
On Thursday, Jan. 19, a sergeant was on regular duty when she spotted a Chevrolet Cobalt that was obstructing traffic on Golf Club Road just east of Roadrunner Parkway. The officer made contact with the car's driver, later identified as Jimenez, who claimed that his vehicle needed a jump start.
The officer attempted to assist Jimenez but noticed that his demeanor became aggressive and uncooperative. Another motorist stopped to give his assistance and offered to jump-start Jimenez's vehicle. But when the officer attempted to start Jimenez's car, she noticed a strong odor of marijuana in the Cobalt and tools commonly used to commit burglaries on the passenger seat.
The sergeant began to pat-down Jimenez but he continued to be uncooperative and physically pulled away from the officer. The officer made the decision to place Jimenez under arrest for obstruction and began to handcuff him when he quickly turned around and struck the officer. A struggle ensued and the officer drew her duty weapon. She ordered Jimenez to the ground and, for a brief time, he complied.
The officer holstered her weapon and was handcuffing Jimenez when he aggressively resisted arrest, forced his way up and fled the area in the Cobalt with the officer's handcuffs attached to his right wrist. A second motorist who had stopped and observed part of the struggle attempted to help apprehend Jimenez but was unable to do so.
Other officers responding to the call located the Cobalt less than a mile away on Cody Circle but Jimenez's whereabouts were unknown until the next day. A warrant was issued for Jimenez's arrest and on Friday, Jan. 20, he and a parent went to the Las Cruces Police Department.
Once at the police department, and apparently unaware that a warrant had been issued for his arrest, Jimenez suddenly became physical with arresting officers in the department's lobby and attempted to fight with police who were detaining him. Jimenez was quickly subdued and placed under arrest. Jimenez now faces additional charges for those actions.
The sergeant who initially attempted to detain Jimenez on Thursday sustained some minor cuts during the altercation but was otherwise unharmed.