12/11/2025
On Monday, November 10th at approximately 3:00 pm a pursuit of a stolen vehicle was initiated by an McMullen County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Deputy in McMullen County on highway 16 approximately 12 miles south of Tilden.
The pursuit continued through McMullen County, Atascosa County, and into Bexar County. There were multiple LE Agencies that assisted in the pursuit. Spike strips were deployed multiple times, but the driver was able to avoid all except the last one.
The driver attempted to run over an MCSO Deputy early in the pursuit while he was trying to deploy spike strips.
The driver blew through four different school zones at speeds of 95 to over 100 mph, at approximately 3:15 to 3:45 pm. (when a lot of schools are letting out.) The driver also blew through every stop sign, intersection, and traffic light at over 100 mph driving recklessly with a blatant disregard for life, the safety of others, and the law. He eventually was stopped by use of spike strips and a DPS Trooper’s Tahoe at the intersection of Palo Alto and Kingsride/Applewhite. The driver attempted to flee but was apprehended very soon after he exited the stolen vehicle by Atascosa County Deputies.
There were four illegal aliens in the vehicle, male and female. One of the illegals had to be taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
There were two innocent civilians injured in this incident who were just trying to get home after work. The suspect driver (Juan Jesus Carranza Jr.) ran into their vehicles while attempting to run through the intersection of Palo Alto and Applewhite. One DPS Trooper was injured when his patrol unit collided with the suspect vehicle while attempting to end the pursuit.
All three were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The driver, Juan Jesus Carranza Jr
DOB: 02/28/1990, was arrested and charged with:
Smuggling of persons X4,
Smuggling of persons causing Serious Bodily Injury,
Unauthorized use of a vehicle,
Evading arrest,
Aggravated assault against public servant.
A total of 8 felony charges were filed by McMullen County and suspect is currently in Live Oak County jail on $3.4Mil Bond
The other Agencies involved may have subsequent charges to be filed for offenses committed in their jurisdictions.
Note from McMullen County Sheriff Emmett Shelton;
McMullen County Sheriff's Office would like to thank all of the LE Agencies who assisted in this pursuit and apprehension, and their Dispatchers.
In a pursuit like this the public only sees our patrol vehicles with their lights and sirens or the helicopter flying overhead, they don't see or hear the people behind the scenes on the radio who are coordinating the units in the pursuit. Live Oak County Sheriff's Office and Atascosa County Sheriff's Office Dispatchers did a phenomenal job, in a very chaotic situation, of feeding all of us with the critical information we needed to bring this incident to as safe a conclusion as possible. Good job all and thank you!
