High-dollar joyrider steers into arrest

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - What a way to get fired. Saturday he worked at a body shop. Sunday he's locked up accused of taking a customer's expensive pickup truck on a drunken and destructive joy ride.

According to police, it wasn't the first time Jerry Flores has driven drunk given his three previous DWI convictions.

Now Flores, 39, is facing a fourth DWI plus charges of auto theft and aggravated assault on a peace office.

The trouble began at Caddy's Customs in southeast Albuquerque where a customer left the black Ford truck to have some work done.

Shop owner Gustavo Parra said he hired Flores to wash cars, but he snatched the keys from a back room Friday and took off.

Police said Flores was drunk and driving so recklessly he caused two other cars to crash at Central Avenue and Pennsylvania Street and almost hit two police officers as he sped down Pennsylvania.

Both drivers in the crash were hurt, but the extent of their injuries is not known.

Flores then got out of the truck and started running before he was caught and arrested, according to the criminal complaint.

Officers alleged Flores admitted to drinking shots of Ten High whiskey before hopping inside the truck, KRQE News 13 found a bottle still inside the battered pickup.

According to police Flores claimed Parra allowed him to take the truck.

"He's saying that we let him use the truck and let him borrow the keys and use the truck for his personal errands," Parra told News 13. "But there's no way that would ever happen.

"I would never let him use my car much less a customer's car, and the most expensive car we had."

Parra said it was Flores was on the job for his second day. There won't be a third

Flores appeared before a Metro Court judge Sunday who sent him back to jail under a $50,000 bond.