Las Cruces police pursuit ends in rooftop jump

A multi-agency vehicle pursuit along Interstate 25 Wednesday morning ended in the suspect jumping from a second-story apartment complex, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

“The fact that he didn’t hit anybody, didn’t involve any pedestrians or any innocent people that were in the apartment complex… is pretty miraculous,” said Kelly Jameson, a spokeswoman for the Doña Ana County Sheriff.

The pursuit stretched from Doña Ana to Las Cruces and reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, Jameson said.

The suspect in the case is 36-year-old Justin Dominguez, according to DASO. However, Dominguez is currently in medical care and has yet to be booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

Police say Dominguez allegedly stole a pickup truck from a home on Navajo Trail in Doña Ana, north of Las Cruces. After the truck driver reported the vehicle stolen at 8:20 a.m., deputies used GPS to track the vehicle at a rest stop in Interstate 25.

Dominguez then allegedly led law enforcement on the pursuit, ultimately leaving Interstate 25. Deputies say he crashed into a chain link fence and abandoned the truck at the Villa Sierra Apartments off Triviz Drive.

Deputies say Dominguez accessed the roof of the apartment building using a balcony. Ultimately, a Las Cruces Police officer deployed a “less-than-lethal” bean bag round and Dominguez allegedly jumped from the roof.

He is in stable condition, Jameson said.

Dominguez is charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer, criminal damage to property (over $1,000), two counts of resisting , evading, or obstructing an officer, and tampering with evidence.