Dangerous pursuit in stolen pickup leads to multiple charges for Guatemalan man

KEARNEY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Guatemalan man is now facing multiple charges after a dangerous high-speed chase in Clay County led to a collision near Worlds of Fun on Black Friday.

The Kearney, Missouri, police announced on Saturday, November 30, that the suspect in a high-speed, dangerous chase through Clay County has been identified as Cristian Guevara-Urbina of Guatemala.

Law enforcement officials noted that Guevara-Urbina has been charged with tampering with a motor vehicle and Valentine’s Day, which is described as aggravated while fleeing a stop. In this case, he has been charged with a class D misdemeanor due to the high speed and dangerous manner in which he operated the vehicle.

Investigators noted that Guevara-Urbina posed a huge risk to other drivers on the road, who could have suffered serious injury or even death. A query has also been sent to Homeland security investigations about his citizenship and the possibility of additional charges.

“We are grateful that no one was injured when the suspect refused to stop for our officer and that he was taken into custody at the end of the incident,” a Kearney Police spokesperson said. “Without going into detail, we will say that this was not Guevara-Urbina’s “first rodeo.”

The charges are related to a chase on November 29 involving both the Kearney and Claycomo Police Departments after a stolen vehicle was spotted in the urban area. The chase ended near I-435 at Randolph Rd., near Worlds of Fun, when Guevara-Urbina crashed the stolen pickup.

After the collision, investigators noted Guevara-Urbina jumped out of the truck and ran into a wooded area. He was found a short time later by the K-9s unit and taken into custody.

Law enforcement officials noted that Guevara-Urbina was treated at the scene for multiple dog bites before being booked into the Clay County Detention Center.

As of Saturday, Guevara-Urbina will be behind bars on a $40,000 bond. No further information has been released.