SAN ANTONIO – A man accused of causing several crashes and leading sheriff's deputies on a chase in southwest Bexar County hit a lawman in the face and spat at a paramedic, officials said.
Baltazar Garcia faces a long list of charges, Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesman James Keith said.
The wild chain of events began after 11 p.m. Wednesday, when Garcia rear-ended a pickup truck on Interstate 35 near Von Ormy and then left the scene, Keith said. Garcia also hit several utility poles before stopping briefly at a convenience store.
"He bought a drink and then stole a couple of gas treatment sort of items and then attempted to fix his wrecked vehicle," Keith said.
Soon after Garcia got back on the road, his car caught fire, Keith said. Unable to see through the smoke and flames, he crashed into the median on Interstate 35 near Kinney Road. Garcia then put up a fight with a deputy, punching him in the face, Keith said.
"Eventually the deputy had to use a Taser on him, which was not successful," Keith said. "It wasn't until more deputies arrived that they were able to get this man contained. Even though he was arrested, he was still combative. At one point, he even spit in the face of a paramedic who was trying to provide him care."
Garcia, who suffered a leg wound during one of the crashes, was taken to a hospital for treatment, Keith said. As of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, he had not been booked into the Bexar County Jail.
Keith said when Garcia is released from the hospital, he will face a long list of charges, including assault on a public servant, evading arrest and theft.
Due to conflicting information, Garcia's age wasn't immediately available.