Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Clark County courts:

Indictments charge duo with multiple felonies in alleged carjacking, subsequent high-speed chase

Two men were indicted today, accused of carjacking a vehicle last month, leading police on a high-speed chase, ramming the stolen car into a patrol car and shooting at a police officer.

Hugo Baldovinos, 21, and Roland Gabaldon, 17, are charged with more than a dozen felonies, many with deadly weapon enhancements, including robbery, assault, attempted murder, discharging a firearm out of a motor vehicle and grand larceny auto.

The indictment by a Clark County grand jury moves their cases to District Court.

The Metro Police arrest report outlined the following sequence of events:

A couple was filling up their 2001 Ford Focus around 12:30 a.m. Dec. 9 at a Terrible Herbst gas station at 3850 W. Sahara when Baldovinos approached them and asked them if they wanted to buy marijuana.

Afraid Baldovinos would become violent, the couple agreed to talk about the offer. Baldovinos got into the back seat of the vehicle, behind the couple. When they told Baldovinos they weren’t interested in buying, he pulled out a revolver and tried to sell it instead.

After the couple refused to purchase the firearm, Baldovinos loaded the gun, pointed it at the male and demanded his car keys and cellphone. The man complied, and Baldovinos went to the side of the store.

A moment later, Gabaldon appeared at the passenger door, pulled out a handgun and demanded the woman’s purse and wallet. The woman refused to give up her purse until Gabaldon threatened to shoot her fiancé. Gabaldon ordered the couple out of the Focus, then got in the car and drove off.

The couple called police, and about seven minutes later an officer spotted the car near the intersection of Oakey Boulevard and Arville Street and attempted to stop it. The Focus pulled over initially, but then sped off west toward South Decatur Boulevard.

During the pursuit, the officer said several gunshots were fired in his direction from the passenger side of the Focus.

More officers joined the chase and when the Focus turned onto West Twain Avenue, a woman jumped out of the car, rolling several times.

One of the pursuing officers stopped and got out of his car to investigate. At that point, the Focus made a U-turn and returned to the scene. There, the Focus rammed into the patrol car and sped off again.

The chase ended in the west parking lot of the Rio when a patrol car bumped the rear of the Focus, causing it to spin out and come to a stop. Gabaldon and Baldovino tried to run in opposite directions but were caught and taken into custody.

The woman who jumped out of the vehicle told police she met the men because a friend suggested they could give her a ride home. The woman said she only knew the men as “Dreamer” and “Daniel.” She said she had no idea the men had just stolen the car when they picked her up and told officers she jumped out of the car at Decatur and Twain because she saw a chance to escape.

Clark County District Judge Linda Bell set bail for Baldovinos, who is charged in the indictment with 17 felony counts, at $2 million. Bell set bail for Gabaldon, who is charged with 15 felony counts, at $350,000. Both men remain in custody in the Clark County Detention Center.

They are due in District Court on Feb. 5 for their arraignments.

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