Wanted El Paso man, Travis County female shooter face new charges in Hays County chase

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — A Travis County woman and El Paso man are facing additional charges for a weekend high speed pursuit in Hays and Blanco counties.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office said the chase happened Saturday night, starting in downtown Dripping Springs and ending in Blanco County.

A deputy tried stopping the car at around 9:30 p.m. that night.  The driver refused and went west toward Blanco County on U.S. 290.  During the chase, 19-year-old Klarissa Soto shot a handgun at the pursuing deputy.  She missed the deputy and pursuit vehicle.

The chase came to an end near the U.S. 281/290 intersection in Blanco County when they crashed.

One person was immediately arrested, while two others were later captured after they tried getting away on foot.

No one was hurt in the chase.

The sheriff’s office said it issued additional warrants for Soto and 23-year-old Nathaniel Castro Tuesday.

Both of them had already been charged with Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant, Evading Arrest with a Vehicle, and Evading Arrest.  Investigators added a Tampering with Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair to both suspects’ charges and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon to Castro.

Castro was also wanted by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office on a whole slew of felony warrants: five counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and one count of Continuous Family Violence.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office is also still looking for the gun used in the chase.  It says it is searching an area of 17 miles on each side of U.S. 290 for that weapon; the search has been hindered by the weather.

The third suspect in the case was not identified, but the sheriff’s office said all three are not from Hays County.