Truck driver rammed into 10 vehicles, sparked chase that ended in SWAT standoff on Eastex Fwy: HCSO

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Deputies say a man is in custody on Monday after he allegedly rammed into several vehicles and led authorities on a long chase in northeast Harris County.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the chase lasted about an hour and 15 minutes and ended in a SWAT scene on the Eastex Freeway near Little York, shutting the freeway down for hours.

An ABC13 photojournalist's dashcam captured some of that wild chase.

The "military-style" truck -- as first described by HCSO -- was seen barreling down the road, with deputies in pursuit.

According to the sheriff's office, this all started when deputies got a call just before 10 p.m. Sunday with a report that the truck had been involved in a hit-and-run.

HCSO said that when deputies tried to pull him over, he took off, leading them on a chase.

During the pursuit, deputies said they used spike strips and even fired shots, but they said that didn't get the suspect to stop.

Finally, when the truck's tires were flat, the chase ended on 59 near Little York. At that point, SWAT was called in, and deputies asked the suspect to get out of the truck.

"Driver, if you can hear me, I need you to exit the vehicle now with your hands in the air. Once outside, follow the instructions given by the deputy," an officer could be heard saying.

Deputies said their repeated verbal commands did not work, so eventually they resorted to tear gas and were able to get the man into custody.

"It's estimated right now that the suspect struck about 10 vehicles prior to the initiation of the pursuit, so we don't really have a motive or anything at this point. The Harris County District Attorney's Office has been notified of the incident," HCSO Chief Deputy Tommy Diaz said.

In a social media post, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez identified the suspect as 53-year-old Omar Moreno. The sheriff said Moreno's charged with three counts of aggravated assault and one count of evading.

At the scene, Chief Diaz said there's no indication the suspect fired shots at deputies. However, in Gonzalez's update, the sheriff said the suspect may have possibly fired shots.

There were no reported injuries, according to law enforcement, and so far, the motive for the incident is unclear.

Eyewitness News did learn this is not Moreno's first bookable offence. Court records show a felony from April of 2025 in which he stole Jaymee McGhee's vehicle.

"I walk outside, and I'm like, 'Where is my car?'" McGhee said.

McGhee said she reported her car stolen and a few hours later got a call from a Harris County Pct. 4 deputy constable. McGhee said her car didn't have much gas in it, and a Pct. 4 incident report said the car was found on the Hardy Toll road, disabled.

While it's not noted in the Pct. 4 incident report, McGee said she was told Moreno was found in her car naked. Court records show Moreno was sentenced to 70 days in jail for the crime.

McGhee said she was shocked when Eyewitness News told her the man guilty of stealing her car was back in jail.

"My mom called me, and she told me about the chase, and I was kind of confused, and I was like, how can that be the same guy?" McGhee said.

The Sheriff's office said Moreno was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and one count of evading.