A man accused of leading police on a high-speed pursuit in south Roswell in September pleaded not guilty to seven criminal charges.
Carlos Medina-Molina, 19, of Roswell, pleaded not guilty Monday, Oct. 26, at his arraignment in Fifth Judicial District Court. He faces one count each of aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, tampering with evidence, failure to maintain traffic lane, reckless driving, speeding, unlawful carrying of a handgun by a person under age 19 and driving without a license.
District Judge Thomas Lilley scheduled Medina-Molina’s jury trial for March 9, 2027.
Medina-Molina was released on his own recognizance after his first appearance Sept. 11 in Chaves County Magistrate Court. The case was bound over to District Court Oct. 6 after Judge James Mason found there was enough evidence to proceed on the felony charges.
Defense Attorney Blake Duggar did not respond to requests for comment.
Medina-Molina was arrested and charged on the evening of Sept. 9 after allegedly driving a blue 2024 Ford Mustang through south Roswell at speeds as high as 118 mph while trying to evade police, read a criminal complaint.
A passenger in the Mustang told police Medina-Molina threw a handgun out the window during the chase. Police did not find a firearm during their search, according to the complaint. The passenger also said Medina-Molina was on juvenile probation and did not want to stop.
No charges were filed against the passenger.
The pursuit began at about 8:44 p.m. when a Roswell police officer saw the Mustang and a second vehicle traveling at high speeds from Poe Street onto South Main Street. The officer followed the two vehicles in an attempt to make traffic stops, according to the complaint.
The officer, with the patrol car’s emergency lights activated, continued to follow Medina-Molina south on South Main Street while other vehicles were on the road, according to the complaint. Medina-Molina turned onto West Brasher Road shortly after a deputy joined the chase.
Medina-Molina then drove from Brasher onto South Lea Avenue and then to a location east of West Gayle Street. The deputy then spotted the Mustang near South Sunset Avenue and West McGaffey Street. The pursuit continued on West McGaffey before the Mustang turned onto the Nancy Lopez Relief Route, the complaint read, headed south and turned onto West Poe Street.
Police stopped the Mustang outside a residence in the 2100 block of South Brown Road, and Medina-Molina was arrested.
When questioned, Medina-Molina admitted he was on juvenile probation but initially said he had not been driving the Mustang, according to the complaint. He was also allegedly wearing an empty holster and told police the gun for it was ‘at his boss’s work.”
Medina-Molina later changed his story and admitted he had driven the Mustang, the complaint read. He said he saw the police officer and did not stop because he was on juvenile probation, was not supposed to be out at that hour and did not want to go to jail, according to the complaint.
