An Alpine man who is facing previous charges led Jeff Davis County deputies on a high-speed chase Monday, winding through the Davis Mountains and reaching speeds up to 112 mph.
Arrested was Justin Vega Lara, 38, who is in Brewster County Jail. As of Wednesday morning, Lara had not been brought to court, so the specific charges and bond amount are unknown.
According to a release from Jeff Davis County Sheriff Victor Lopez, deputies had learned that Lara was living in a trailer home in Fort Davis with an outstanding warrant out of Alpine for indecency with a child. Deputies spotted Lara at the home, but he fled, and the chase took officers up Highway 17 all the way to Interstate 10, where they were joined in pursuit by Reeves County officers heading toward Fort Stockton.
“Near mile marker 214-215, the suspect began driving erratically, weaving in and out of traffic and drifting toward the shoulder,” the release stated. “At that point, Sheriff Lopez executed a controlled maneuver, pushing the suspect’s vehicle toward the service road, successfully bringing the pursuit to an end.”
Lopez said Tuesday that it was clear that Lara was a “danger to the community,” which prompted the decision to pursue him
Lara is the brother of Ismael Javier “I.J.” Vega, then 23, who died of a fentanyl overdose on February 15, 2024, at his home in Alpine. Authorities in Sierra Blanca then arrested Vega’s other brother, Willie “Sapo” Lara III, and two others on March 4, 2024, for possession of narcotics (including fentanyl) with intent to distribute. Those three were sentenced in October 2024 to terms of 15-30 months in federal prison.
After his brother’s arrest, a gunman opened fire on Justin Lara on April 16, 2024, at the 1100 block of North 9th Street. The alleged shooter, Juan Jose Tafoya, 30, of Alpine, turned himself in three days later and was taken to the Brewster County Jail on charges of aggravated assault.
About a week later, on Wednesday, April 24, officers arrested Lara on charges of indecency with a child with sexual contact—which led to the warrant for his arrest that resulted in the chase. He also was arrested by Alpine police on October 29, 2024, at the 1300 Block of East Gallego on charges of continuous family violence.
The 93th District Attorney office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of Lara’s most recent charges, which are not in court records. He also faced charges in the past for burglary to a building, possession of narcotics, and assault causing serious bodily injury.
