A high-speed chase that ended in a crash into a retaining wall Monday led to a number of criminal charges filed Tuesday in Racine County Circuit Court against a 24-year-old Racine man.
Moises R. Gonzalez faces a felony charge of possession of marijuana, along with misdemeanor charges of obstructing an officer, a second offense of drunken driving, operating a motor vehicle while revoked and hit and run.
The felony charge carries a fine of $10,000 and three years, six months in prison. The misdemeanors carry a total fine of $13,500 and two years, three months in county jail.
Gonzalez, who is in custody, made his initial appearance in court Tuesday afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint:
An officer with the Racine Police Department observed the defendant’s vehicle traveling at an extremely high rate of speed in the area of Hayes and Kinzie avenues at about 1:44 a.m. As the officer attempted to execute a traffic stop. Gonzalez crashed into a retaining wall at 900 Hayes Ave., which caused damage to the homeowner’s wall and front yard.
After the crash, Gonzalez exited the vehicle and began to flee on foot before he was caught several houses away. During a search, police found a bag of what later tested positive for 14.1 grams of marijuana. A portable breath test at the scene revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.164.
Inside a backpack, police found a digital scale with marijuana on it, as well as two large mason jars, one with plastic baggies and another with marijuana.
Court records indicate that Gonzalez has several previous convictions, including one for felony possession with intent to deliver marijuana in Kenosha County in 2013, along with felony convictions in Racine County for possession of marijuana and possessing an illegally obtained prescription.
A preliminary hearing has been set for 8:30 a.m. Aug. 9 in front of Racine County Court Commissioner Wayne Laufenberg.
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