Austin man pleads guilty to DWI, fleeing police in drive that ended in flames
Melchor Barnabas
(ABC 6 News) – An Austin man took a plea deal Friday after leading police on a chase that ended in a fiery crash.
Melchor Barnabas, 24, pleaded guilty Oct. 14 to felony fleeing police in a motor vehicle, gross misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, and misdemeanor tampering with a motor vehicle–riding in the vehicle without owner’s permission.
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Three additional charges of reckless driving, open bottle in a motor vehicle, and driving without insurance were dismissed.
Barnabas was arrested in May after fleeing a traffic stop attempt, whereafter he hit a tree and his vehicle burst into flames.
His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023.