Carson man gets year in jail in Douglas police chase

MINDEN " A 25-year-old Carson City ex-felon who missed two court appearances was sentenced Monday to a year in Douglas County Jail for his part in a March 12 high-speed chase through Indian Hills with Washoe Tribal Police.

Fidel Fuentes was given credit for 36 days in custody, but Douglas County District Judge Michael Gibbons refused to count six months he spent in jail in Carson City for a probation violation in connection with the Douglas County arrest.

"You're not a good candidate for probation," Gibbons said.

"You have a prior felony, you got probation which you didn't finish. You have a prior weapons offense, you did not appear to meet with your probation officer as required. That militates against any leniency."

Gibbons issued a bench warrant when Fuentes failed to appear Sept. 24 for sentencing on a gross misdemeanor, conspiracy to possess stolen property.

Fuentes' lawyer, Derrick Lopez, said his client thought the date was Oct. 24.

Even though Fuentes said he was living in Las Vegas, he was arrested Oct. 6 in Carson City during a traffic stop.

Lopez said Fuentes claimed to have notified a woman he could not identify that he wouldn't be able to meet with a probation officer in Carson City for a presentence report.

Fuentes was a passenger in a vehicle reportedly driven by Robert Michael Hernandez, 20, of Carson City, which rammed a tribal police cruiser on March 12 following an early morning chase from the Stewart Indian Colony to Indian Hills.

Officers believed Fuentes threw a stolen handgun from the car before he and Hernandez fled the scene.

Hernandez, step-son of Carson City Mayor Marv Teixeira, is serving 16 months in prison in California.

Prosecutor Michael McCormick told Gibbons on Monday that Hernandez will face charges in Douglas County when he completes his California sentence.