It began with a vehicle pursuit that involved both the Gallup Police and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office.
Gallup Police said they were pursuing a car that was headed for U.S. Highway 491. The car has been reported to have been stolen.
Sheriff Deputy Lorenzo Guerrero was on Highway 491 at the time and reported that the vehicle passed him at the three-mile marker. Police deployed stop sticks on the highway just ahead and when the vehicle went over them, some of tires were flattened.
The vehicle kept going, however, and proceeded north until it turned west on the Francisco Pond Road with Guerrero in pursuit. He said it went the whole distance on the road until it spun out and stopped.
The occupants of the vehicle then all jumped out and began running as Guerrero and other officers at the scene gave chase.
Guerrero said he ran after the driver and caught up with him. He identified him as Darrell Desiderio Sr., 41, of Twin Lakes. Metro Dispatch confirmed that Desiderio had three outstanding bench warrants and he was placed under arrest for those as well as being in possession of a stolen vehicle and fleeing from law enforcement.
The two other occupants in the vehicle were also captured but no charges were filed against them. They were, however, transported to the Gallup Detox Center because both were intoxicated.
