Tolleson Teen Captured on JWP Months After Wild Police Chase and Tazing

A significant police chase in Safford culminated with the recent arrest of 19-year-old Jesus E. Rios, who has been held for nine months on various charges. His legal troubles escalated following a chaotic incident on March 18, 2024, where he evaded law enforcement using reckless driving tactics.

On December 6, Rios was apprehended in Maricopa during a routine traffic stop on John Wayne Parkway. He was booked into the Pinal County jail, facing charges including aggravated assault, endangerment, and narcotics possession. Rios allegedly nearly struck an officer with his vehicle that day.

Details regarding whether Rios was transferred to face Graham County Superior Court charges are currently unclear, as Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has ceased to provide public jail rosters following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The police report indicates Rios was operating a vehicle in downtown Safford without lights on the night of his original offense. The vehicle was identified as registered to Veronica Luna. Despite multiple attempts to stop him, Rios accelerated eastbound on State Route 70.

An Arizona state trooper joined the pursuit, attempting to deploy a grappler hook meant to disable Rios’s vehicle. Although the device was activated, it ultimately disconnected from the patrol vehicle without achieving its intended effect.

Following this, a Safford officer executed a Precision Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, successfully causing Rios’s vehicle to spin out and stop. Rios then exited the car and fled on foot, along with several passengers.

In a swift response, a Safford officer chased Rios into a fenced backyard, where he deployed a Taser, resulting in Rios’s immobilization and subsequent arrest. The officer also pursued two women who escaped from the vehicle into a residential property, forcibly entering the dwelling to locate Luna.

During questioning, Rios admitted to being under the influence of cocaine, which officers later confirmed through a field test on a substance discovered in his possession. Following his booking at the Graham County jail, Rios was released on bond but remained evading law enforcement until his recent capture by Maricopa police.