Name:
Pastrana, Danny Antonio
Date of Booking:
01/01/2023
Reason(s) For Booking:
Too Fast For Conditions
Driving Within the Emergency Lane/Gore/Median
Failure to Exercise Due Care When Using Cell Phone/Radio
Improper/Erratic Lane Change
Cruelty to Child-2nd Degree-Criminal Negligence/Cause Excessive Physical/Mental Pain
Cruelty to Child-2nd Degree-Criminal Negligence/Cause Excessive Physical/Mental Pain
Willful Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers-Misdemeanor
Reckless Driving
Speeding
Fleeing/Attempting to Elude Police (F)
Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]
On 01/01/2023 on or about 10:45 PM, Myself and Deputy Watson #1132 were sitting at the 9 mile marker on Interstate 95 in Woodbine, GA (Camden County) in reference to a reckless vehicle that was traveling southbound down the interstate. CPL Reed #1148, was sitting at the 14 mile marker on interstate 95 in reference to the same reckless call.
CPL Reed informed any available units on Interstate 95 that a white pickup truck and a white BMW passenger car passed him at the 14 mile marker and he used his laser to obtain the white pickup trucks speed and it registered as 108 MPH at 1479 feet. CPL Reed was using laser serial number – LF006841 which is a Stalker Laser checked for accuracy at 10:20 PM.
A white pickup truck passed our position in the fast lane at a much higher rate of speed than the vehicle in the middle lane which was visually estimated by Deputy Watson and myself at over 100 MPH in a 70 MPH posted speed limit. The vehicle in the middle lane was a white BMW passenger car which matched the description of the two vehicles that CPL Reed had put a be on the lookout for traveling South bound from his position.
I pulled out on to I-95 South to catch up to the white pickup truck due the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed when the weather was foggy, the road conditions were wet and visibility was reduced due to darkness and the fog. I initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle using emergency lights and siren on my patrol vehicle. The vehicle came to a final stop right after the off ramp of exit 7 on I-95 south.
Deputy Watson got out with me on the traffic stop and I approached the vehicle on the drivers side. The back window was tinted very dark so I instructed the driver to roll down the back window. Upon the lowering of the back window I observed a woman and small [REDACTED BY AGENCY] in the back seat of the vehicle.
I made contact with the driver of the vehicle and instructed him to exit the vehicle due to him driving at such a high rate of speed with [REDACTED BY AGENCY] in the vehicle under the current road conditions. As I was attempting to get the male to exit the vehicle so that I could detain him, he stated multiple times that he would not be exiting the vehicle and that it was illegal for me to have him exit the vehicle on a traffic stop.
Myself and Deputy Watson gave multiple loud verbal commands for him to exit the vehicle and he refused. The drivers side window was almost all the way down so I reached into the drivers side door handle because he had locked the doors and I couldn’t see what he was doing with hands behind the door and he was extremely agitated and refusing lawful orders.
As I reached the handle and pulled it to unlock the door, Deputy Watson pulled on the outside handle and the door began to open. As the door opened about 3 inches, Mr. Pastrana identified by his Florida drivers license, hit the gas on the truck and fled from the traffic stop almost striking myself and Deputy Watson who were standing on the drivers side of the vehicle.
Myself and Deputy Watson ran to our vehicles and informed dispatch that the vehicle fled from the traffic stop and that we were in pursuit South bound on Interstate 95 from the 7 mile marker where the original traffic stop was. I caught up to the vehicle which was traveling over 100 MPH as it fled around the 6 mile marker.
I passed the vehicle on the left side and got in front of it with lights and sirens activated on my patrol vehicle in an attempt to slow it down while Deputy Watson stayed directly behind the fleeing vehicle in an attempt to box the vehicle in. I also informed dispatch that there was children in the car and a female with the suspect.
As I was attempting to box the vehicle in, Mr. Pastrana swerved around me and overtook me on the right side traveling in the emergency lane in order to pass my patrol vehicle. I remained on the left side of his vehicle in the slow lane with my patrol vehicle to keep him from getting into the middle or fast lane and pick up more speed and endanger other motorists on the Interstate.
At this time we were traveling about 60 MPH and he was unable to gain any additional speed. Dispatch informed us that they were able to convince Mr. Pastrana to pull his vehicle over and he informed dispatch that he was not going to exit the vehicle. The vehicle came to a final stop in the emergency lane at about the 4 mile marker.
Myself and Deputy Watson initiated a felony traffic stop and gave loud verbal commands for Mr. Pastrana to exit the vehicle with his hands up and to lay on his stomach when he exits the vehicle. At first Mr. Pastrana was not exiting the vehicle when given orders. After a period of time he exited the driver side of the vehicle with his phone in his hand and I gave him orders to keep his hands up and to lay on his stomach.
Mr. Pastrana did not follow my orders and went down to his knees but would not go all the way down as ordered. Myself and Deputy Watson approached him and I escorted him down to his stomach where we placed him under arrest and we handcuffed double locked to the rear and checked for fit. Mr. Pastrana was then searched and then placed into the rear of Deputy Watson’s patrol vehicle.
Inside the vehicle was his wife [REDACTED BY AGENCY] identified by [REDACTED BY AGENCY] Florida drivers license and his [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was informed that Mr. Pastrana was under arrest and why. [REDACTED BY AGENCY] asked what would happen with his court date that he has on 01/03/2023 in Chicago.
We asked what the court date was for and she informed us attempted murder or something like that but she wasn’t completely sure. After reviewing Mr. Pastrana’s [REDACTED BY AGENCY] it showed previous charges for Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Battery Domestic Violence, Burglary of dwelling, Fleeing/Eluding Police, Obstruction by intimidating or threatening witness or victim, Arson in the 1st degree on occupied dwelling, Contempt of Court, Resisting Officer, Probation Violation and Failure to Appear.
Also after reviewing Mr. Pastrana’s [REDACTED BY AGENCY] on [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. Mr. Pastrana was charged with Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon which I believe is what [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was referring to regarding his court date on [REDACTED BY AGENCY] in Cook County, Illinois. The vehicle and [REDACTED BY AGENCY] were released to [REDACTED BY AGENCY] with Mr. Pastrana’s permission and Mr. Pastrana was transported to the Camden County Jail by Deputy Watson and released for booking without further incident.
[End of Narrative]