The suspect also has at least five active warrants from two different counties.
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — The suspect who was shot by a Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy Saturday night has been identified and arrested, according to authorities.
34-year-old Joshua Ryan Garcia was arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest. He also has active warrants from Kleberg and Atascosa County including for making a terroristic threat (Kleberg), possession of marijuana (Atascosa), violation of a protective order (Kleberg), harassment (Kleberg) and driving with an invalid license (Atascosa).
On Saturday night, a BCSO deputy attempted to pull over a vehicle after his license plate scanner alerted to a stolen vehicle out of Atascosa County.
When the deputy attempted to pull the vehicle over, Sheriff Javier Salazar said the driver, identified as Garcia, took off at a high speed. Salazar said according to dash cam and body cam video, the pursuit lasted one to two minutes.
“It appears that the suspect was intending to get away,” Salazar said.
After a short chase, the suspect’s vehicle slowed down when it approached a dead-end road. This reportedly gave the deputy enough time to get out of the vehicle before Garcia attempted a U-turn and started driving toward the deputy.
Salazar said the deputy proceeded to fire three to four shots, striking Garcia several times.
Authorities said the suspect was taken to a local hospital. He was treated for minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The passenger in the vehicle was also treated for minor injuries due to the crash, and will not be facing any charges at this time.
“The passenger at this point I don’t think is going to be facing any charges unless she’s got warrants for her arrest that we’re able to find in the aftermath,” Salazar said.
Following the crash, Salazar said Garcia had a lengthy criminal history.
“From what I can see, he’s a registered sex offender,” Salazar said. “He does have a history of aggravated sexual assault of a child I believe. And then some drug offenses as well.”
Garcia has been booked in the Bexar County jail.
The deputy involved in the shooting has worked on the force for approximately a year and will be placed on administrative duty as the investigation remains ongoing.