AURORA, CO – Aurora police say a suspected impaired driver tried to escape arrest a second time, but this time officers used a Grappler device to end the chase. The traffic stop happened Sept. 20 after officers noticed the vehicle drifting across lanes and unable to hold a straight path.
Police said the driver, later identified as 26-year-old Elixon Sosa-Cruz, was already wanted in another jurisdiction for eluding officers. He had also previously gotten away from Aurora officers after another suspected DUI incident, according to the department.
Police say they spotted unsafe driving before the stop
Aurora officers first noticed the car because it was weaving and failing to stay centered in its lane. After running the plate, police say they learned the driver had a history of evading law enforcement and had recently escaped after a separate DUI-related encounter.
That information changed the way officers handled the stop. Instead of relying on a standard pursuit, Aurora police say they secured advance approval to use a Grappler, a tire-catching device meant to disable a fleeing vehicle.
The department said the goal was to stop the car before it could get too far or put more people at risk. Body camera and patrol footage released by police shows the vehicle being followed closely before the device is deployed.
Grappler catches the rear tire and brings the car to a stop
In the video released by Aurora police, a patrol vehicle closes in on the suspect car and the Grappler is released. The device snags the left rear tire, quickly disabling the vehicle and preventing the driver from continuing on four wheels.
Police said Sosa-Cruz then got out of the car and tried to flee on foot. Body camera footage shows an officer chasing him while shouting a warning to stop and threatening to use a Taser if needed.
Officers were able to bring him down and take him into custody without any further incident. Police did not report injuries to officers, the driver or anyone else during the arrest.
Search of the car turns up fentanyl, a gun and cash
What officers found inside the vehicle went beyond a suspected DUI case. Aurora police said a search turned up more than 80 grams of suspected fentanyl, a loaded handgun, more than $400 in cash, several cellphones, a digital scale and a ledger.
Police also reported finding additional suspected fentanyl-containing pills and powder, along with numerous small baggies. Those items, investigators said, raised concerns that the vehicle may have been linked to drug distribution activity.
Authorities have not said publicly who owned the gun or the phone devices, and they have not described any further forensic results tied to the items recovered from the car.
Sosa-Cruz faces multiple probable-cause charges
Sosa-Cruz was arrested on probable cause for driving under the influence, unsafe lane change, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and obstruction, according to Aurora police. The department said he remains in jail without bond.
Police also said he was wanted for eluding officers in another jurisdiction. The department has not explained the earlier escape in detail, and it is not clear how he got away from Aurora officers during the previous suspected DUI incident.
For now, investigators say the case remains active as they continue to gather information connected to Sosa-Cruz and the items found in the car.
Aurora investigators ask for tips as the case continues
Aurora police said the investigation is ongoing and that they are seeking additional information about Sosa-Cruz. Anyone with details that could help investigators has been asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP.
Police also emphasized that Sosa-Cruz is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. That standard applies while the case moves through the legal process and before any charges are resolved.
The department’s account frames the arrest as a fast-moving stop that turned into a wider narcotics and weapons investigation once officers searched the car. What began as a lane violation and suspected impaired driving stop ended with a suspect in custody and multiple allegations under review.
