Warrant issued for missing suspect

A warrant was issued late Tuesday for a 20-year-old Carson City man charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer after he allegedly drove a sport utility vehicle into a Washoe Tribal Police cruiser.

Robert Michael Hernandez remained at large Wednesday.

In addition to the assault charge, Hernandez was charged with felony eluding in connection with an early morning pursuit through Indian Hills which resulted in gunfire.

Hernandez is believed to be the driver of the SUV that was chased into Indian Hills at 2 a.m. Monday from the Stewart Indian Colony in Carson City by tribal officers who believed the driver was intoxicated.

Hernandez allegedly drove the SUV into the tribal police cruiser and toward one of the officers before he and a passenger fled the vehicle on foot.

The officer, who was uninjured, fired three shots at the SUV.

Fidel Fuentes, 24, of Las Vegas, the passenger in the vehicle, was arrested and charged with felony possession of stolen property and obstructing a police officer, a misdemeanor.

Fuentes is in custody in Douglas County Jail on $35,500 bail. He appeared in East Fork Justice Court on Wednesday and told judge pro tem Paul Gilbert he could not afford a lawyer.

"I just got back from Arkansas where I was working. I'm not doing anything here," Fuentes said when Gilbert asked him if he had a job.

Gilbert appointed attorney Derrick Lopez to represent him and set Fuentes' next court appearance for March 21.

According to court documents, a deputy and an investigator called to the scene early Monday were walking along the rear fence line of residences that face Princeton on the dirt greenbelt looking for blood evidence about 5 a.m.

In searching the abandoned vehicle, deputies noticed blood inside the passenger side door handle indicating the passenger's right hand was wounded.

Deputies saw two subjects dressed in street clothes assisting a woman with getting her dogs back in her yard.

Once the dogs were retrieved, the two men began slowly jogging on the walking path.

An investigator asked them to stop and identified himself, showing his badge.

One of the suspects answered, "I am sorry, sir, but we don't have time right now," and they took off running.

The officers chased the suspects who split up as they ran north toward Vista Grande, refusing commands to stop.

The officer chasing the suspect who turned out to be Fuentes said he could see the suspect's right hand was bleeding as he chased him. The officer drew his firearm and ordered Fuentes to lie down, but the suspect did not comply.

He chased Fuentes into a back yard on Basalt Court where the suspect disappeared behind a wooden gate.

The investigator retreated to an area where he was able to signal for backup. When the second officer arrived, they could see Fuentes through the gate and ordered him to the ground. He was arrested and taken to a medical facility for treatment.

Deputies recovered a .380-caliber handgun on Agate and believe Fuentes threw the gun from the SUV.

The Carson City Sheriff's Office reported the handgun had been stolen.