Police: Man drove tarp-covered stolen vehicle while hitting Las Vegas police cars, wall

13/01/2024

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – An arrest report has revealed more details that led to a man crashing into multiple Las Vegas police cars and then a wall last week.

Terry Luna, 33, was arrested on charges of DUI, owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools and driver disobeying a peace officer.

According to an arrest report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a marked Metro patrol unit was dispatched to an apartment complex located on the 3500 block of E. Lake Mead Blvd. at approximately 3:36 p.m. on January 5 to recover a stolen vehicle. The caller described a 2017 Hyundai Accent covered by a tarp at the rear of the complex.

When officers arrived and raised the tarp, they saw the suspect reportedly sleeping in the driver’s seat with a screwdriver in the ignition.

The first officer on the scene backed away and called for more units.

When more officers arrived, the suspect started the car, struck a patrol car trying to leave the scene, then hit a garbage container. Police said that the suspect proceeded eastbound within the complex with the tarp still covering the windshield and vehicle.

Police said the fleeing suspect then struck an apartment complex gate and crashed into a wall adjacent to the complex before fleeing on foot. A witness on the staircase on the front side of his home reported hearing a loud crash and seeing a man running from the crash scene, where he then jumped over a wall just east of the crash and into an apartment complex.

In a subsequent search of the area, K-9 officers found the suspect hiding under mattresses in an open lot just southeast of the crash site.

He identified himself and was taken to UMC for a medical evaluation, where a doctor cleared him for any injuries.

The suspect was read his Miranda Rights and invoked his right to refuse to speak to officers without an attorney present. A court records check revealed that Luna had four prior convictions, including reckless driving and attempted possession of a stolen vehicle.

An inventory of the vehicle the suspect was driving included a .22 long rifle and ammunition, multiple flat head and Phillips head screwdrivers, and multiple hand-held crowbars, pliers and wire cutters. An officer also found a clear glass pipe with burnt residue and an ice pick with a plastic handle.

Luna was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

He has a court appearance scheduled for May 6.