Traffic stop results in charges

On June 25, 2021, Patrolman Kalum Halfacre was patrolling on Franklin Street close to Roney Avenue when he got behind a gray Toyota Camry that failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Franklin Street and 412 East.

Halfacre made the vehicle stop in Bowen’s Home Center parking lot. In the vehicle was driver Anthony Pantoja, 38, and passenger Cortni Horton. As Halfacre approached the passenger side of the vehicle, he observed a small child in the back seat. Both individuals stated they didn’t have their driver license with them. Halfacre walked in front of the vehicle to approach the driver side and about that time, the driver sped off from the traffic stop.

While following the vehicle, Halfacre observed the vehicle to be driving at a high rate of speed, passing other vehicles. He then made the decision not to pursue due to there being a small child inside the vehicle.

A few hours later, Halfacre was contacted by Deputy Nick Reeves in regards to some information about Pantoja. Reeves advised Halfacre that Pantoja might have ran into the woods on Zimmerman Street and Mill Avenue. While speaking with his partner, Patrolman Travis Koch, he stated he believed the car might have been left on a pull-off near a phone tower. When arriving at the pull-off area, Halfacre observed the Toyota Corolla with Kansas tags. The tag was ran by dispatch and confirmed it came back to a maroon Infiniti.

Sergeant Brent Bridges ran the vin number on the vehicle and dispatch confirmed the vehicle to be stolen out of Kansas in April 2021.

Later at the Hohenwald Police Department, Halfacre was working on warrants for Pantoja when Koch contacted him. Koch advised that Pantoja was going to turn himself in near where the vehicle was located. While enroute to Zimmerman Road, Halfacre made contact with Pantoja holding his two-year-old son. EMS was called to the scene to check the child’s welfare and Pantoja was transported to the Lewis County Jail to be booked on charges of evading arrest, reckless endangerment, theft of property, fugitive of justice, and driving on a revoked/suspended driver’s license.

Dispatch did later confirm that Kansas would extradite.