PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. – A man by the name of Mario Lopez was arrested Thursday afternoon after allegedly striking a sheriff’s deputy with a stolen truck in Pueblo West, according to the sheriff’s office.
Mario J. Lopez, 35 (pictured above), was reportedly driving a stolen truck westbound on U.S. 50 just before noon when a chase ensued after police got reports that a truck had been stolen in the area.
Police stopped chasing the vehicle after it approached Pueblo West, and the truck was last seen turning south on Purcell Boulevard.
Deputies patrolling the area saw the vehicle going south on Swallows Road and tried to stop the vehicle but Lopez refused to pull over. After getting additional support from other deputies, spike strips were used to deflate the vehicle’s tires and deputies were able to pin the vehicle against a cattle guard.
But during the arrest of the suspect, a deputy was injured after she was struck by an “unsecured door” of the trailer stolen out of Pueblo. The deputy was taken to a local hospital where she was treated and released.
Lopez was apprehended after a short struggle by deputies who had to use a Taser to subdue him.
He was arrested for second-degree assault on a peace officer, first-degree motor vehicle theft, felony theft, felony vehicular eluding, criminal mischief, resisting arrest and miscellaneous driving charges. He was booked into the Pueblo County Jail.