Carson City man jailed after police chase ends when car crashes into casino

What began as a battery investigation where a convenience store clerk was hit with a banana, ended with the arrest of a man after he crashed his vehicle into a natural gas line forcing the evacuation of a casino early Sunday morning, a Carson City sheriff’s deputy said.

Osvaldo Ruiz was arrested at 1:41 a.m. in the 2100 block of East Long Street after a vehicle and foot chase. He faces felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving willful conduct and eluding with endangerment as well as misdemeanor charges of DUI, obstructing and hit and run.

According to the arrest report, officers were called to a convenience store in the 2700 block of Highway 50 East. Police learned two men walked into the store and one man began using the bathroom with door opened. The clerk told the man to close the door and the man became upset, walking out of the restroom and demanding the clerk to sell them alcohol, the arrest report states. One of the men threw a banana at the clerk, hitting them with it before leaving.

Deputies were able to identify the banana thrower, and knew of him being associated with a gang in the 2700 block of Menlo Drive.

Deputies arrived at the complex and learned the two men had drove up in a Lexus and parked it in the complex and went to an apartment. Officers attempted to make contact at the apartment but there wasn’t an answer. Officers left the area but maintained surveillance of the Lexus in which several people were standing around.

The Lexus then backed up rapidly onto Lompa Lane. Not knowing if the Lexus had the banana throwing suspect inside, or not, the officer followed the car and then attempted to make a traffic stop at Airport Road and Gordonia.

The Lexus ignored the lights and sirens, and accelerated rapidly. The officer lost sight of the Lexus. Another officer located it on Woodside Drive and Airport Road. A patrol officer attempted to catch up with the car while two other patrol vehicles were in the path of the Lexus. The vehicle headed straight for the patrol vehicle, swerving at the last second, missing it and then moving toward another patrol vehicle, swerving at the last second. Both Sgt. Humphrey and Deputy Jones stated the Lexus intentionally swerved at them, missing them at the last possible moment, the arrest report states.

The Lexus, occupied by Osvaldo Ruiz, then drove at a high rate of speed onto Highway 50 from Airport Road. A deputy saw the Lexus approaching Russell Way where it turned north without slowing down. The Lexus drove over a raised concrete control device in the intersection of Russell Way. A deputy then stated the Lexus went airborne after it hit a curb and sidewalk, coming to rest between the east wall of a casino in the 2200 block of East William Street and large green electrical control boxes.

The Lexus severed the meter off the natural gas line that supplies the casino. The casino was subsequently evacuated and utility companies were called to shut down both gas and electric. There was damage to shrubbery, an electrical box, and the exterior wall of the casino.

Meanwhile officers moved toward the car and saw Osvaldo Ruiz jump into the back seat and then kicked open the rear passenger door and ran away northbound on Russell Way.

He continued running where he went into an apartment complex on Long Street, jumped the fence into a senior citizens apartment complex, then ran north then toward another senior complex in the 2200 block of East Long Street. Officers found Osvaldo Ruiz hiding in a dumpster on the north end of the complex and he was arrested. Officers smelled alcoholic beverage as he spoke and Osvaldo was slurring his words as he spoke and stumbled as he walked. When he was asked he if had been drinking alcohol the man replied he was “f***** up,” the arrest report states.

Osvaldo Ruiz requested to be taken to the hospital for treatment and was transported there by ambulance. A deputy followed to the hospital to continue an investigation of DUI. It was learned Osvaldo had a prior DUI conviction in 2013. Based on the DUI with accident, the deputy obtained a telephonic search warrant to allow for blood samples. Ruiz was read the Nevada Implied Consent and three samples for alcohol and drugs were obtained. He was later taken to jail.

He faces the following charges: Assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving willful conduct, destruction of property eluding with endangerment, DUI second, obstructing and hit and run. Bail: $68,300.