A 26-year-old Aurora man is facing multiple felony charges after leading police on a high-speed chase through Denver and Glendale Saturday night, culminating in a head-on collision that injured five people. Michael Guadalupe Freyta was arrested after being released from the hospital, where he was taken following the crash. According to the Aurora Police Department, Freyta was driving a stolen 2000 Dodge Ram pickup truck when he crashed into another vehicle carrying four people near South Leetsdale Drive and South Cherry Street in Glendale.
The crash occurred after officers attempted to stop Freyta around 5:45 p.m. near East Mississippi Avenue and South Chambers Road. When they identified the truck as stolen, they followed and tried to pull him over at South Potomac Street and East Mississippi Avenue. However, Freyta allegedly fled, leading police on a chase west through Denver into Glendale. The pursuit ended when Freyta crashed into the other vehicle, injuring five people in total.
Four occupants of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital with varying injuries. One person suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the others had minor injuries. Freyta is now facing charges of eluding, motor vehicle theft, two counts of vehicular assault – all felonies – and misdemeanor DUI.
The Aurora Police Department is investigating the alleged theft and other aspects of the incident, while the Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes Unit is handling the crash investigation. Freyta’s criminal history includes previous arrests for motor vehicle theft, ID theft, fraud, and forgery. He also allegedly failed to maintain his status on the sex offender registry for an Adams County conviction involving a minor.
