MIDLAND — Eighteen-year-old James Baker died after his vehicle crashed into a retention wall at the intersection of North Fairgrounds Road and East Loop 250 N. Midland Police reported that 36-year-old Roberto Pando III pursued Baker at speeds exceeding 115 miles per hour leading up to the crash.
Baker's girlfriend and three of her family members sustained critical injuries in the crash. Police stated that Baker lost control of his vehicle while attempting to avoid gunfire during the pursuit.
Pando confessed to initiating the pursuit, and investigators stated he admitted to being intoxicated at the time. Pando told investigators he pursued Baker to link the vehicle's license plate to recent neighborhood robberies. He was charged with murder following the incident.
Police stated additional murder charges against Pando are pending based on the medical conditions of the four surviving passengers. Angela Turley, Baker's aunt, said, "I can only imagine James' mind, the amount of love he had for his girlfriend. His only thing was to do what we as his family have taught him, which is to protect them, and that's what he was doing."
Turley further noted that Life360 location data indicated Baker's vehicle was traveling at low speeds along a consistent route before the chase. "I know James drove because we have his Life360. We saw his pattern. We saw his speed." Turley said.
Court documents contain surveillance footage showing Baker driving in the neighborhood before the pursuit. Audio from a 9-1-1 call reportedly captures audible voices from inside Pando's pickup truck before the collision. An online petition requesting the maximum penalty for Pando has gathered nearly 2,000 signatures.