ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A man took New Mexico State Police on a slow-speed chase through the Metro after getting pulled over and refusing to do a field sobriety test. NMSP Officer Ramon Roybal stopped John Mares near Montgomery and Monroe on March 1. After he pulled over, Mares explained why he stopped in the middle of Montgomery around two a.m.
Roybal: “What’s up man?”
Mares: “I thought those people were jumping in the middle of the road.”
Roybal: “They were clearly on the sidewalk.”
Officer Roybal ordered him to hand over his driver’s license. Mares complied until he was asked to step out of his vehicle.
Roybal: “You know what, I didn’t do nothing.”
Mares: “You’re going to go?”
Roybal: “I didn’t do nothing man.”
Mares: “Okay, I got your driver’s license John.”
The officer chased after Mares who stopped for traffic lights and wasn’t speeding. Mares took NMSP on a slow tour through northeast Albuquerque and never went above the speed limit. That tour included a trip on I-25 where the officer used a stop tick to deflate one of his tires. That didn’t stop Mares and neither did a PIT maneuver near Lead and Coal. But a second PIT maneuver did get him stopped.
Officer told Mares to put his hands up who halfway complied. Police said he threw away a baggie of fentanyl before being taken into custody.
Mares pled not guilty to possession of a controlled substance, tampering with evidence, resisting arrest, stopping in a prohibited place, and aggravated DWI. He is currently out of jail under the supervision of pretrial services.