08.24.18 Funeral Services for Officer Almendarez and Car Pursuit

You’re watching video of the Celebration of Life Service

Held today for Baytown Police Officer Johnny Almenderez, Jr. #144.

Officer Almenderez died of a cardiac event this past Sunday morning,

August 19.  Services were held at the Emmanual Baptist Church, 500

East James, in Baytown.

 

2018-48035 – On August 16^th at 1:58 p.m., officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of West Main and SH 146. However the driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop right away and continued to slow role until it pulled into a parking lot at West Main and Maryland. During this time the driver and passenger appeared to be handing items back and forth. As the vehicle came to a stop, our officer exited his patrol vehicle at which time the suspect fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed westbound on West Main to Market Street, ultimately winding up driving through a vacant field behind the Mclemore Police Substation in the 3500 block of Market Street. At one point the vehicle gets stuck and the driver exits the vehicle and continues fleeing on foot, running into the Exxon Plant property where he was apprehended by other responding officers, while the original officer made contact with the female passenger of the vehicle, who was still in the suspect vehicle, and took her into custody. The driver was identified as 25 year old Dene McCarter of Baytown and the passenger was identified as 27 year old Vera Crawley, also of Baytown.  Both subjects admitted to have been smoking Kush and were subsequently transported to the Baytown Jail where Ms. Crawley was booked on charges of Public Intoxication and Mr. McCarter was booked on charges of Evading in a Motor Vehicle. However, a short time later Mr. McCarter was transported to Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital due to possible adverse reaction to the Kush he had been smoking, where he was subsequently admitted. He has since been released and charges will be filed at a later date. Mug shots attached.

Lieutenant Steve Dorris