Raleigh police arrested 21-year-old Elmer Bautista Candela on Wednesday following a nearly five-hour standoff and a high-speed chase involving a stolen pickup truck. The incident began when officers attempted to arrest Candela on Solar Drive in connection with an assault report.
According to police, Candela fled on foot, stole a nearby pickup truck, and led officers on a chase that ended after he collided with another vehicle near Yonkers Road and Raleigh Boulevard. Thankfully, no injuries were reported during the crash.
Candela then barricaded himself inside a home on Bashford Road, forcing authorities to close the road as officers negotiated his surrender. Police eventually took him into custody without further incident, and the road has since reopened.
Candela faces additional charges tied to the vehicle theft and chase, as well as outstanding warrants for assault by strangulation, injury to personal property, and attempted larceny. He is currently being held at the Wake County Detention Center and is scheduled for a first court appearance Thursday afternoon.
Neighbors expressed relief after the arrest. “I hope he stays in jail for a long time,” said Louis Valez, who lives nearby. “If he can do that to somebody he doesn’t know, imagine what he could do to others in the neighborhood.”
