Watch Santa Fe police chase down Texas man wanted on child sex crimes
Sting operation leads to a car chase and ends in the arrest of a Texas man who travelled to New Mexico to commit child sexual abuse.
Digital Assignment Editor
New video shows Santa Fe police chasing down a Texas man on Thursday who’s been accused of child solicitation and sexual exploitation.
The car chase ended with officers ramming the car of Gabriel Garcia, 47, of Houston and arresting him.
SFPD’s Special Victims Unit Internet Crimes Against Children Detectives conducted a sting operation against Garcia in collaboration with Criminal Investigations Detectives and Patrol Section Personnel.
Officers said Garcia thought he was communicating with a child, but it was an officer pretending to be one. Mr. Garcia told the person he thought was a child that he knew their underage status and expressed a desire to commit sexual crimes, according to police.
Police say Garcia traveled to Santa Fe to meet with the child after arranging to pay for sex. Once in Santa Fe, detectives initiated a traffic stop, but Garcia fled.
Officers used a PIT maneuver to catch Garcia, forcing his car to spin out on the side of the road.
Garcia already had a warrant out for his arrest in Illinois for sexual assault. He is now booked into the Santa Fe County Detention Center.
