HOUSTON – The man accused of leading police on a slow speed pursuit Thursday night said he has smoked meth and has not slept for two weeks, according to police who talked to Brett Alan Poppenhesun after his arrest.
Poppenhesun, whose name is also spelled Poppenhusen in criminal filings on Friday, has a lengthy criminal record that includes recent drugs, theft and robbery. He has been in prison.
Poppenhesun appeared in court Friday afternoon and was advised of the charges against him. He has been given no bond, which means he cannot bond out of jail.
His bond is set at $15,000, Harris County District Court online records showed Friday evening.
According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, they were pursuing a stolen SUV on Thursday evening when Poppenhesun refused to pull over for a traffic stop.
At times there were dozens of officers and deputies trailing the driver, 34-year-old Brett Alan Poppenhesun, who was only going 25-30 miles per hour.
But the chase was intense because Poppenhesun didn’t have his lights on and even went the wrong way on the Eastex Freeway feeder road.
"He put a lot of people in danger,” said Lt. Williams Picazo with the Houston Police Department. "He had no regard for anyone else."
Picazo said the incident started as a traffic stop. Officers noticed the red SUV had been reported stolen and they attempted to pull Poppenhesun over. Instead of stopping, he took off.
Poppenhesun rammed two police vehicles and hit another driver during the chase, police said. He eventually turned into a dirt parking lot near Hopper and 59 and found himself surrounded by police officers. He was quickly taken into custody.
Investigators said he was likely under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.
"I thought he was going to come here," Sarai Lopez said, who works at the fireworks stand across the street. She and other workers, and even some customers, were afraid the driver would run into them.
"I got scared a little bit because I thought he was coming this way," Ruth Lopez said.
Poppenhesun is charged with evading arrest and DWI. Police said he caused three accidents while running from officers in the stolen vehicle.
According to various county and Texas Department of Public Safety records, Poppenhesun's criminal record in Harris County includes possession of a controlled substance, theft by check, theft $1500-$20,000, theft $50-$500, robbery with bodily injury, theft $500-$1,500 as well as robbery in Montgomery County.
That robbery with a bodily injury conviction earned him a ten-year prison sentence, state records show.
If you have a tip about this case or a story idea for investigative reporter Jace Larson, email him at jlarson@kprc.com or text 832-493-3951.