Accused blue pickup eluder appears in court

A Fernley man accused of driving a lifted blue pickup at 80-100 mph through Minden last week was arraigned in East Fork Justice Court on Thursday.

Santos Robin Benitez Tejada, 49, faces multiple felonies in connection with the March 7 case.

His bail remains $35,000 cash and a March 20 hearing date was set. 

Defense attorney Brian Filter said Benitez Tejada is self employed and was not accused of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the chase.

“He was not in too sound a state of mind on Saturday,” Filter said arguing in favor of a bail reduction. “He was not drunk or high when the incident occurred.”

Prosecutor Bethany Towne agreed about Benitez Tejada’s condition in asking bail to stand.

East Fork Justice of the Peace Paul Gilbert agreed that Benitez Tejada seemed better, but that the risk posed by his release prompted him to keep bail where it was set on Saturday.

Benitez Tejada also has a case in Fernley, which is what helped law enforcement to track him after he eluded authorities by driving into California.

He was arrested by Nevada State Police around five hours after deputies, who’d chased him into South Lake Tahoe, last saw him turn up Pioneer Trail.

The lifted blue pickup was reportedly first sighted near Leviathan Mine Road driving erratically.

Deputies caught up to the pickup in Minden near 10th Street just as Douglas High School was letting out. Benitez Tejada is accused of driving 80 mph through the school zone on Highway 88 around 2:30 p.m. as he made his way south with deputies in pursuit.

Deputies followed the pickup south on Highway 88 down to Fairview and then up Foothill before the pickup turned onto Kingsbury Grade. Deputies deployed spike strips, but the pickup continued after running over them. It never slowed down as the driver maneuvered it into oncoming traffic, which prevented any attempt to ram him. The driver turned onto Highway 50, ignoring the traffic signal and continued through Stateline and over the state line before deputies discontinued the pursuit.

They lingered in the area to see if he would drive back over the state line. The pickup had a temporary California plate, which helped investigators connect it to Benitez Tejada.

He is being held on charges of felony eluding, reckless driving, driving more than 21 mph over the speed limit in a school zone, speeding 41 mph over the speed limit, aggressive driving and a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property that occurred in the jail.