On November 4, 2024, law enforcement arrested Adrian Rojas Avila and Eliannis Cruz Almaguer in Franklin County, following a high-speed chase involving multiple vehicles. The pursuit, which reached speeds of up to 140mph, resulted in the apprehension of both individuals.
Rojas Avila and Cruz Almaguer were unable to post bail, which was set at $75,000 each. They now face charges of felony fleeing an officer, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, misdemeanor DUI, and multiple citations for careless driving, exceeding the speed limit by 68mph, and reckless driving. Additionally, Rojas Avila has been charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), a Trooper observed two vehicles traveling at an extremely high speed near mile marker 12 of I-81NB in Franklin County at approximately 12:49 am on November 3rd. The cars were closely following each other and were reportedly going at a speed of 133mph, as indicated by the Trooper’s radar gun. Instead of slowing down, the vehicles audibly accelerated as they passed the Trooper, prompting the Trooper to initiate a pursuit by pulling onto the roadway.
According to PSP, they followed the vehicles at a distance of approximately a quarter mile before activating their emergency lights and sirens. Instead of stopping, the two vehicles, a Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger, allegedly accelerated to a speed of 140mph.
The troopers were reportedly unable to close the gap as the cars continued to evade them, crossing multiple lanes of traffic and ultimately exiting the interstate at Exit 16, Lincoln Way East. Eventually, multiple other troopers arrived at the scene and managed to surround the two muscle cars, finally apprehending the drivers.
According to Troopers, Adrian Rojas Avila, a 35-year-old resident of Sarasota, FL and the driver of the Dodge Charger, repeatedly resisted arrest by refusing to get out of the vehicle, not turning off the car, and even attempting to flee and resisting handcuffing by flipping on his back.
In response to his resistance, PSP attempted to remove Rojas Avila from the vehicle by using a taser twice, with only the second attempt having any effect. Eventually, however, he was successfully apprehended. On the other hand, Eliannis Cruz Almaguer, a 21-year-old from Houston, TX and the driver of the Challenger, complied with Troopers’ instructions and was taken into custody without any further issues.
Both Rojas Avila and Cruz Almaguer were reported to have the smell of alcohol and bloodshot, glassy eyes. As a result, they were transported to Chambersburg Hospital for a legal blood draw. While Cruz Almaguer agreed to have his blood drawn, Rojas Avila once again declined the legal requests and did not have his blood drawn.
Both Adrian Rojas Avila and Eliannis Cruz Almaguer are currently in custody, with each of them being held on a bail amount of $75,000.
