Suspect with 11-year-old in car led League City PD on chase that ended in Houston area, police say

Jiovanni Lieggi Image
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Driver in custody after chase out of League City ends on South Loop
A child was in the car police were chasing at high speeds across two counties in some of Houston's busiest freeways. In the video above, ABC13's Jiovanni Lieggi has more details.

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- A chase that started out of League City went for miles, reaching speeds nearly up to 100 mph before the suspect was stopped in Houston's south side, police said.

Tuesday's chase was sparked at about 7:20 p.m. near FM 646, according to League City police. The driver, who authorities identified as 34-year-old Nicholas Rocha, had a theft warrant out of Harris County and a separate warrant out of Webster.

Police said Rocha led officers from League City and into the Houston area, where HPD officers assisted and eventually performed a PIT maneuver to stop him. The ordeal ended on the 610 South Loop and Cullen. Rocha complied with officer commands and was taken into custody.

Officers said something was also thrown from the car at the time of the chase, but it's unclear what that was.

Police add that Rocha also had an 11-year-old in the car during the chase. Their relationship is unknown, but the child has been released to family.

It's unclear what charges Rocha will receive from this pursuit.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said the child in the chase suspect's vehicle was 15 years old, according to information from police at the time. Authorities later gave ABC13 an update that they were incorrect, and the child is actually 11.

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