Irving Car Theft Suspect Arrested After 100-Mph Chase Ends Near Dallas-Richardson Border
IRVING, Texas - A man accused of stealing a Toyota Corolla from outside an Irving restaurant was arrested after police tracked the vehicle across Dallas County, leading to a pursuit that topped 100 mph before the car was abandoned near the Dallas-Richardson border.
Jose Alfonso Gomez, 35, was arrested Sept. 23 and charged with theft of property valued between $2,500 and $30,000 and evading arrest or detention with a vehicle.
The investigation began at approximately 11:06 a.m. when Irving police responded to a Subway restaurant in the 5400 block of N. MacArthur Boulevard, near W. Walnut Hill Lane, for a reported vehicle theft.
The owner told police his dark gray 2025 Toyota Corolla had been stolen from outside the restaurant.
Surveillance video showed a Hispanic man wearing a black shirt, white shorts and black-and-white shoes enter the Corolla at approximately 10:57 a.m. and drive away, according to police.
Officers used the Toyota's vehicle-tracking system to follow its location and determined the stolen Corolla was traveling on Interstate 30 in Mesquite.
An Irving officer headed toward the vehicle's reported location and eventually spotted the Corolla. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, police said the driver refused to stop and fled.
The officer pursued the stolen car on I-30. The driver exited at Big Town Boulevard and continued fleeing at speeds exceeding 100 mph, according to police.
The officer lost sight of the Corolla near Loop 12 and terminated the pursuit.
Police continued monitoring the car remotely through its tracking system, which later placed it near Sanden Drive and Alder Circle, approximately nine miles from where the officer had lost sight of it.
The same Irving officer headed toward that location and again spotted the stolen Corolla. Police said the driver fled toward Interstate 635, but the officer did not initiate another pursuit.
Investigators continued tracking the vehicle and eventually located it abandoned at Restland Cemetery near the Dallas-Richardson border.
A witness told officers the driver had gotten out of the Corolla and fled west on foot.
Officers searched the area and found a man matching the suspect walking along Restland Road. He was taken into custody without further incident and identified as Gomez.
Gomez was booked into the Irving Jail. The theft charge is a state jail felony, while evading arrest or detention with a vehicle is a third-degree felony.
A records check also showed Gomez had an outstanding warrant from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office in the San Antonio area related to a DWI case, according to police.
