Hour-long high-speed chase ends in arrest

GONZALES – What started as a routine traffic stop on Interstate 10 near Waelder ended with a woman facing felony charges after police said she led them on an hour-long high speed chase.

The Texas Highway Patrol reported that at 3:15 p.m. April 13, Trooper Robert Ynclan pulled the driver over for speeding just west of the Waelder exit. She was identified as Anna Marie Rodriguez, 40.

While speaking with Rodriguez, troopers noticed she appeared to be intoxicated and conducted a field sobriety test on her. The test showed her to be intoxicated in some way. Also during questioning it was found that Rodriguez had two warrants for her arrest, troopers said.

When troopers tried to arrest Rodriguez, she pulled out a knife and tried to stab one of them but missed. She then jumped into her car and drove off at a high rate of speed, continuing down I-10 toward Waelder at over 100 mph.

Rodriguez took the Waelder exit and turned back around, now heading west on I-10 before exiting on HWY 304 and heading south toward Gonzales.

By the time the chase had reached this point, Gonzales and sheriff's deputies had joined in the pursuit, with GPD laying out spikes along the roadway near the junction of Highways 304 and 97. However, upon seeing these, Rodriguez turned around and headed back north on 304 before getting back on I-10 – this time heading west toward Seguin.

Rodriguez continued to lead law enforcement (now including Guadalupe County) west on I-10 before exiting onto HWY 37, where her left tire hit the spikes and blew out. Troopers said Rodriguez continued to flee in the car, now on I-35 north. When Rodriguez exited on the access road, troopers were able to force her car off the roadway. Rodriguez then exited the car and fled on foot, but troopers were eventually able to detain and arrest her.

Rodriguez was taken to Bexar County Jail. She is charged with evading arrest, DWI third or more, along with two arrest warrants out of Comal and Bexar Counties.