Mass. man denies speeding, police chase and reckless driving

Police said after two years, they finally caught up with a Springfield, Mass., man who escaped them in a 120-mph car chase.

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http://www.vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/RH/20160516/NEWS02/160519632 http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160516/NEWS02/160519632 Published May 16, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Mass. man denies speeding, police chase and reckless driving By ERIC FRANCIS WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Police said after two years, they finally caught up with a Springfield, Mass., man who escaped them in a 120-mph car chase. Tears rolled down the cheeks of 26-year-old Miguel Montalban Thursday as he pleaded innocent in White River Junction criminal court to a felony charge of attempting to elude police and misdemeanor charges of reckless operation of a vehicle and speeding. Emphasizing his lack of ties to Vermont and the nearly two years he had been missing since a warrant was first issued for his arrest, Judge Theresa DiMauro set bail at $20,000. During Thursday’s arraignment, Public Defender Robert Lees noted that Montalban is on disability and has a 6-year-old son living in Massachusetts as well as a girlfriend in Vermont who was identified to the court simply as “Heather.” Hartford Deputy Chief Brad Vail said Friday that officers were investigating a complaint at the Shady Lawn Motel in White River Junction when they came across Montalban and discovered that he had an outstanding warrant as well as “a minor amount of heroin” on him, which is expected to lead to additional charges in the coming weeks. On the morning of May 7, 2014, Springfield Police Officer Larry Muldoon said that he spotted Montalban behind the wheel of a red Dodge Charger with black racing stripes that at the time was owned by Springfield resident Tara Slocum. Muldoon said he pulled up next to Montalban and asked if his driver’s license was still under suspension. Montalban, who had two women in the car with him, replied that it had been “taken care of.” Muldoon said that when he asked Montalban to pull over so he could verify that, Montalban “accelerated into traffic at a high rate of speed.” Muldoon pursued Montalban down Route 11. After watching the fleeing Charger cross the double-yellow lines to pass cars, forcing other drivers to “take evasive actions” to avoid collisions, Muldoon said he cut off the chase due to the larger safety concerns. Muldoon wrote in an affidavit filed with the court that he was able to later confirm Montalban’s identity with the aid of a photograph printed in the Springfield Republican newspaper in Massachusetts, which detailed a 2010 drug raid that resulted in Montalban and a girlfriend initially being charged with trafficking crack cocaine and Suboxone. During Thursday’s arraignment, Windsor County State’s Attorney David Cahill described Montalban as “not tied to employment in the formal economy; although, (he) may be here for other money making endeavors.” http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160516/NEWS02/160519632