A man staying at an Arnold hotel has been accused of driving through a shopping plaza’s parking lot to avoid an Arnold Police officer. The man was wanted by the Rock Hill Police for allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident, according to court papers.
Abimael Mendez-Mendoza, 29, has been charged with felony aggravated fleeing a stop or detention. His listed address is the WoodSpring Suites, 888 Arnold Commons Drive, in Arnold, court records show.
As of Feb. 25, Mendez-Mendoza was being held on a $10,000 bond in the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro.
According to a probable-cause statement filed by the Arnold Police, an officer at about 5:40 p.m. Feb. 23 attempted to stop Mendez-Mendoza who was driving a 2015 GMC Sierra in the parking lot near the Kohl’s department store, 2150 Michigan Ave. The store is in the Water Tower shopping plaza off Jeffco Boulevard.
The officer turned on his vehicle’s emergency equipment to stop Mendez-Mendoza, who did not stop and drove through the parking lot that had numerous people walking through it. The officer attempted to stop Mendez-Mendoza by deploying a tire deflation device, but the device was avoided, the report said.
Arnold Police at about 6:45 p.m. that day located Mendez-Mendoza and the pickup at the hotel. Officers learned Mendez-Mendoza was staying at the hotel, and Mendez-Mendoza allegedly told them he fled from the officer because he was “scared” and thought the officer was “immigration,” according to the report.
Mendez-Mendoza allegedly did not have a valid driver’s license, and investigators believe he unlawfully entered the country, the report said.