Just after 2 am a Montgomery County Deputy attempted to stop a Hyundai Santa Fe near FM 1485 and I-69 which was driving northbound in excess of 100mph with no headlights. The vehicle fled and a pursuit ensued with Montgomery County and Patton Village involved. That pursuit ended when the vehicle exited I-69 at the North Washington exit on I-69 on the north side of Cleveland. There is almost a ninety-degree turn on the exit ramp going to North Washington (Business 59). The exit is poorly marked as only one sign indicates a speed slow down. Over the years chevrons marked the curve but were all destroyed by crashes and never replaced. The driver of the Santa Fe failed to negotiate the curve and went down the embankment ejecting one of the passengers into a low area of water with the vehicle rolling on top of him. He has been identified as Julio Uribe, 18, of Cleveland. A second passenger who was identified as William Arledge Jr. of Cleveland, age 17, was quickly taken into custody by Montgomery County Deputy. The driver, identified as Anthony Figueroa, 19 of Cleveland, fled the scene to the east across Business 59 and vanished near the railroad track. Cleveland Police worked the crash with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety from the New Caney Office. Evidence was gathered and the scene was photographed. Cleveland Police and DPS went to the home of the registered owner of the vehicle. That is where they found the Figueroa and placed him in custody. He is expected to be formally charged and magistrate Monday morning. The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office has accepted murder charges on Figueroa. the passenger, Arledge, and the driver were both uninjured. Chief Darrel Broussard with the Cleveland Police Department also responded to the scene. He remained at Uribe’s side until Pace Stancil Funeral Directors arrived at the scene and transported Ubribe to Beaumont for autopsy. J+J Wrecker removed the vehicle from the scene. Uribe was to graduate from Cleveland High School this week.
