High Speed Chase and A Case of Mistaken Identity

A car traveling at high speed evaded local law enforcement on US 77 Monday night just outside La Grange. Later that night, an undocumented individual avoided arrest after officers discovered they had the wrong man.

According to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, a car was traveling approximately 100 miles per hour with no lights as it passed a deputy patrolling US 77 near the former St. Mark’s Medical Center north of La Grange around 9:45 p.m. The deputy was unable to catch the car and notified the Lee County Sheriff’s Office that the car may be approaching Giddings.

A Lee County deputy spotted the car, described as a black four-door sedan, traveling at 116 miles per hour as it approached Giddings. Multiple law enforcement agencies began searching for the car. Two troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety discovered a vehicle matching the description at a residence near the intersection of Brenham St. and Burleson St. in Giddings.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the driver of that vehicle told officers he was at a friend’s house and had come home just before law enforcement arrived. Officers identified the individual and determined he was an illegal immigrant with a DWI arrest from 2023. They notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who confirmed this individual could be detained for possible deportation as a criminal illegal immigrant.

Around that time, law enforcement discovered they had the wrong vehicle. The black sedan that evaded law enforcement earlier that night was seen leaving Giddings on US 290. Surrounding law enforcement was notified, but the vehicle was never caught.

In the meantime, leadership at the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office decided to release the individual who was being detained in Giddings. The Sheriff’s Office said that even though the individual could have been turned over to ICE, they exercised legal discretion to release the man since he was not the person they were looking for.