Driver involved in wild chase through West Side charged, has lengthy criminal history

Driver identified as 30-year-old Javier Alberto Lopez Jr.

SAN ANTONIO – The driver involved in a chase through a West Side neighborhood Thursday evening is facing multiple charges and has a lengthy criminal history, according to online records.

Javier Alberto Lopez Jr., 30, has been charged with evading arrest, felony possession of a firearm and possession of narcotics after Thursday’s arrest.

According to officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the chase started around 6 p.m. when troopers attempted to stop a GMC Yukon occupied by Lopez and a female passenger near NW 36th and Coyle streets for a traffic violation. 

Lopez and his passenger fled in the Yukon and evaded officers for several miles, weaving through several streets, DPS officials said.

According to DPS, the vehicle was spiked and the chase came to an end near Fortuna and Calle La Gloria streets.

Aerial footage from SKY-12 appeared to show Lopez drive the Yukon into a dark field and run across it before he was caught by officers while attempting to jump over a fence.

Online records show Lopez has been arrested multiple times for various offenses over the past decade.

Those offenses include burglary and assault in 2009, driving while intoxicated in 2012, vehicle theft in 2017 and Lopez’s most recent arrest, where he was charged with theft and possession of narcotics last February.

The name of the female passenger inside the vehicle had not been released as of Friday morning.


About the Author:

RJ Marquez is the traffic anchor/reporter for KSAT’s Good Morning San Antonio. He also fills in as a news anchor and has covered stories from breaking news and Fiesta to Spurs championships and high school sports. RJ started at KSAT in 2010. He is proud to serve our viewers and be a part of the culture and community that makes San Antonio great.