High-speed chase suspect is convicted felon, police say

By Riley Snyder

Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 | 1:05 p.m.

The man arrested for leading Metro Police on a 20-minute high-speed chase Sunday night after being spotted with a gun at a KFC restaurant was a convicted felon from California, authorities said Tuesday.

Enrique Flores, 32, was arrested Sunday on charges of resisting a public officer with a deadly weapon, owning a gun by a prohibited person and evading a public officer after leading police on a chase.

Metro Police officers responded to a robbery call at 7:43 p.m. Sunday at the KFC in the 6100 block of West Lake Mead Boulevard, Officer Larry Hadfield said.

According to an arrest report, officers first responded to the KFC after employees had pressed the robbery alarm after seeing Flores with a firearm in the parking lot. Officers attempted to make a traffic stop on Flores, who was driving a black 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, but he ignored commands to stop and drove southbound on Jones Boulevard.

After reaching speeds up to 80 mph on Jones, Flores entered the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 95, crashing into several cars in the process, according to the report. After exiting the freeway and driving down a dead-end street, Flores briefly left the truck before returning and attempted to escape in the vehicle.

Metro officers set up a spike strip and blockade at the intersection of Mesquite Avenue and Marigold Lane in an attempt to stop Flores, but he was able to escape despite having three tires punctured by driving through landscaping, according to the report. Flores entered Interstate 15, continuing at a high rate of speed despite losing tire tread.

Flores then swerved across lanes of traffic while attempting to avoid officers before crashing the vehicle into the meridian south of Sahara Avenue. Responding Metro officers, knowing that Flores was armed with a rifle, attempted to communicate with Flores in Spanish to little effect for several minutes, according to the report.

Flores eventually exited his vehicle and surrendered to police. Metro recovered a .223 caliber Golani Sporter rifle from the vehicle, though there was no magazine or cartridge loaded into the gun.

Flores, who has a registered address in Santa Ana, Calif., was convicted on two felony counts in 2009 including child cruelty and threatening crime with intent to terrorize, according to the report.

He was booked in absentia at the Clark County Detention Center while being treated at UMC for injuries sustained in the crash.