A teenage suspect remains at large after leading authorities on high speed chase that spanned four cities and ended with a crash at a busy McAllen shopping center.
It all started on Expressway 83 in Peñitas around on Tuesday evening.
A human smuggling suspect lead police on a chase that ended with a crash at a shopping center off Ware Road and Expressway 83 in McAllen.
The suspect allegedly stole a second vehicle from a woman outside a restaurant and escaped from police.
Peñitas Police Chief Roel Bermea spoke to Action 4 News about the incident.
Chief Bermea said four illegal immigrants are in Border Patrol custody.
One of the immigrants was treated for minor injuries after the alleged smuggler crashed his SUV.
Chief Bermea said police got a tip that the driver was smuggling immigrants.
A patrol officer found probable cause to stop to the vehicle but that's when the driver took off.
Police say, luckily there were only minor injuries---it could have been much worse.
"By him jumping in heavy traffic--he's not only putting himself but the public in danger....what he did was dangerous,” Chief Bermea said.
Bermea said authorities are seeing more illegal immigrants being smuggled in small numbers.
The chief said smugglers believe this will give them a better chance of getting to their destination
A vehicle with four or five people in it just seems like a family is traveling unlike if there are 20 or 30 immigrants crammed inside.
Authorities recovered the car stolen from outside the restaurant but the smuggling suspect remains at large.
Bermea believes the suspect could be a juvenile.
Anyone with information about his identity or his whereabouts is asked to call the Peñitas Police Department at (956) 583-0050.
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