Mission Valley man accused of driving car toward officer, arrested on several warrants

A 24-year-old Mission Valley El Paso man was arrested Monday, accused of assault on a peace officer.

The El Paso Police Department’s Gang Unit, SWAT and the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force also arrested Brandon Almanzar, 24, on multiple criminal warrants.

Police said in a news release that on March 3, officers who knew of Almanzar’s criminal warrants saw him driving a vehicle in a parking lot of a business in the 7200 block of Alameda Avenue. He exited his vehicle.

The officers then surrounded his vehicle, but Almanzar refused to cooperate with officers, the news release said.

Instead, police said, Almanzar entered the vehicle and drove directly toward an officer, causing the officer to take evasive action to avoid being hit.

Almanzar was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail on warrants alleging aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest or detention in a vehicle, unauthorized use of a vehicle, theft of property, assault causing bodily injury family violence, and 19 traffic warrants.

His bonds total more than $186,000. He still was being held as of Thursday morning.

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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mission Valley man from El Paso accused of driving car toward officer