A 15-year-old from Tucson is in custody after leading Cochise County Sheriff’s deputies and Benson Police officers on a dangerous chase.
According to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday February 1, 2024 at approximately 3:30 a.m., a Cochise County Sheriff’s Deputy saw a suspicious vehicle on Highway 80 near Bingham Road in St. David. When he checked the vehicle license status it was discovered that the vehicle, a 2013 Hyundai Elantra, was reported stolen from Tucson on Tuesday January 20, 2024.
Upon initiating the traffic stop, the vehicle pulled over and as the deputy approached, the driver, Pablo Figueroa, a US Citizen, engaged in gear and fled the scene.
A pursuit ensued with speeds reaching up to 100 miles per hour as they approached Benson. Once into the Benson area, Figueroa went the wrong way on the ramp onto Interstate 10 heading towards Tucson while turning off the lights of the vehicle.
Figueroa continued going the wrong way on Interstate 10 for several miles to the Highway 90 intersection, before taking the entrance ramp from Highway 90 onto Interstate 10 causing the vehicle to catapult through the intersection before landing onto the exit ramp of 90 losing control and ending up facing the correct direction.
Law enforcement units from the Sheriff’s Office and Benson Police took Figueroa into custody at that point.
Mescal Fire Department medics arrived on scene to medically evaluate Figueroa before he was cleared to be booked into the Cochise County Jail in Bisbee.
Figueroa will be charged as an adult.
“We are so fortunate that no one was injured or killed by the reckless actions of someone so young,” said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels. “We have to know where our kids are and be the role models for them to follow as they grow into mature adults. Talk to your kids and foster a positive relationship knowing how many dangers are out there to lead them astray.”