Waynesburg man jailed after chase ends in swimming pool
A Waynesburg man was arrested Friday morning after leading police on a seven-mile chase that ended when his car splashed into an in-ground swimming pool.
Police began pursuing Juan Villarreal, 40, around 1:38 a.m., after a trooper stationed in Jefferson noticed the tinted windows of Villarreal’s Kia sedan were so dark he couldn’t see the driver, according to the criminal complaint. While checking Villarreal’s license plate, the officer learned the driver’s registration had been suspended because of canceled insurance, the complaint said.
After Villarreal failed to pull over when the officer turned on his sirens, police said, a 10-minute chase ensued.
According to charging documents, the chase ended when Villarreal drove off a curve in the roadway and into the yard of a home in the 600 block of Castle Ridge Road in Washington Township.
Villarreal damaged the home’s yard and fence, as well as the in-ground pool where his car became submerged, the complaint said.
Following the crash, Villarreal tried to flee on foot before responding to verbal commands from officers, court paperwork states.
Because Villarreal had been involved in a crash, no field sobriety test was conducted. Villarreal refused blood testing, but had slurred speech and watery eyes, according to the complaint. A trooper also saw an open alcohol container floating in the pool, the complaint said.
A bench warrant had been issued for Villarreal Nov. 4 after he failed to appear in court for a parole violation hearing. Villarreal had been granted parole in August two months into a five-month sentence on charges including fleeing and eluding police.
That hearing is now scheduled for Dec. 1.
Villarreal was charged with fleeing and eluding, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and driving under the influence.
He also received 14 summary citations for traffic violations troopers said occurred during the pursuit.
Villarreal was placed in the Greene County jail on $250,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15.