On today’s date (04-30-20), at approximately 9:20am, the New Braunfels Police Department was notified by the San Antonio Police Department about a white Chevrolet pickup truck that had been stolen, along with the truck owner’s handgun, and that the vehicle would soon be entering the New Braunfels city limits.
NBPD officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop on Northbound I-35 in the area of FM 306. The female driver refused to stop and continued northbound on I-35 at a high rate of speed. NBPD officers pursued the vehicle until the driver pulled over to the shoulder in the area of Watson Lane, where a felony traffic stop began. Despite repeated commands to exit the vehicle, the driver refused and eventually she sped away from officers, once again heading northbound at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit continued on I-35 through San Marcos and came to an end just before Exit 213 (just south of Kyle) where NBPD officers successfully attempted a PIT maneuver, causing the vehicle to come to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. Officers once again attempted a felony traffic stop, but the driver again refused to exit the vehicle, which led to the use of a department-issued less lethal weapon, specifically a direct impact foam round fired from a 40mm rifle. This less lethal alternative is specifically designed to incapacitate without causing serious bodily injury. That single less lethal round was deployed and the female surrendered immediately, without further incident, and without injury. No officers or members of the public were injured during the pursuit.
28-year old Rachel Vaquera of San Antonio was then transported to a New Braunfels area hospital as a standard precaution because of the traffic collision and the less lethal deployment. She has since been medically cleared and transported to the Comal County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Use of A Motor Vehicle and Evading Arrest in a Vehicle. Additional charges may be pending.
NBPD would like to thank the San Antonio Police Department, San Marcos Police Department, the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, and the Buda Police Department for their help during this pursuit.