Man Hides Under a Lawn Mower Cover from Police After Crashing His Getaway Car
A Texas man tried to hide from deputies under a lawn mower cover after ditching his vehicle. It began as a traffic stop but turned into a pursuit in Harris County.
Deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the 23000 block of Aldine Westfield Road on Sept. 14. A driver and three passengers occupied the vehicle.
Deputies were speaking with the driver outside the vehicle when one of the passengers climbed into the driver’s seat and drove northbound on Aldine Westfield Road.
Responding deputies found the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the new driver had no intention of pulling over and continued the pursuit.
Crash and Run
The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle after striking a curb. All three occupants got out of the car and ran on foot to a nearby subdivision.
Deputies quickly established a perimeter, and a search for the suspects ensued.
Deputies found and identified the driver as Ladrrius Metoyer, who was hiding under a lawn mower cover. Metoyer was promptly arrested without further incident and was also identified as a convicted felon.
Authorities did not confirm what happened to the original driver of the vehicle and the two other suspects who fled on foot.
Not a Great Hiding Spot
It’s unclear why Metoyer expected a lawn mower cover to solve his problems, since it clearly wasn’t the best hiding spot.
Constable Mark Herman made a statement following this bizarre ditch-and-run incident.
“Running from law enforcement only made matters worse for this suspect,” Herman said. “My deputies quickly established a perimeter, tracked him down, and took him into custody after finding him hiding under a lawn mower cover.”
Metoyer was booked into Harris County Jail and was charged with evading arrest. As of this writing, booking records show Metoyer was denied bond, and it’s unclear what led to the original traffic stop.
What It Means
Texas Penal Code Section 38.04 states that a person commits evading arrest if they intentionally flee from a peace officer who is lawfully attempting to arrest or detain them.
It’s usually a Class A misdemeanor, but Texas law increases it to a state jail felony when the person uses a vehicle to flee and hasn’t been convicted of evading arrest before.
For Metoyer, it’s alleged that he took control of the vehicle and tried to flee. Although Metoyer is a convicted felon, there was no indication that he had been charged with evading arrest before this incident.
Metoyer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
