LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Las Vegas Metro police arrested a suspected impaired driver a week after the same man ran from officers during a traffic stop for an alleged DUI and reported his car stolen, documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained revealed.
Victor Ramos faces charges of DUI, driving without a license, false statement to obstruct a police officer, and false report of a crime, records showed.
On Feb. 12, Super Bowl Sunday, around 10 p.m. police stopped a driver, later identified as Ramos, for reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road near the intersection of Bonanza Road and Eastern Avenue, documents said.
During the stop, a Metro officer noted “a strong odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage from his breath and person,” documents said. The officer also noted Ramos had trouble balancing.
While the officer was attempting to put Ramos into handcuffs, Ramos ran off, police said. Officers were unable to find him.
About two hours later, Metro police dispatchers received a call about a robbery. The caller, who identified himself as Ramos, said someone had stolen his car two hours earlier, police said.
Officers later interviewed Ramos about the reported robbery where he told officers he was carjacked, documents said. He then admitted “to running during the impairment testing” and “claimed that he made up the story about his vehicle being stolen to avoid getting in trouble with the registered owner of the vehicle,” officers wrote in court documents.
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, officers surveilled Ramos’ address to arrest him. They found him returning to the area in the same car as was involved in the Super Bowl Sunday incident, they said.
While speaking with officers, one noticed the smell of “recently smoked marijuana emitting from the vehicle,” they said.
Police were able to arrest Ramos and booked him into the Clark County Detention Center, they said.
Ramos made his first court appearance on Feb. 23. Because no bail argument was heard and prosecutors had not filed a criminal complaint, a judge did not set bail.
Ramos’ next court date was scheduled for June 22.
