Man Who Shot Up Cop Car During Chase Gets Life Sentence

WOODBRANCH, TX — A man who turned U.S. 59/I-69 into a game of Grand Theft Auto received a life sentence on Friday, Aug. 26.

On Aug. 8, 2015, Ebeneser Benny Morones was the back passenger in a four-door Lincoln that was speeding on U.S. 59/I-69 near FM 1314. An officer from the Woodbranch Police Department tried to stop the car.

Morones stuck a .30 caliber, M1 carbine out the window and started blasting as the car kept going. The cop car was hit in the windshield and hood and had to fall back. A deputy from the Montgomery County Pct. 4 Constable's Office took over pursuit.

Morones kept firing, but didn't hit the deputy's car. He did hit another car and the bullet went through the windshield. The chase lasted for about 17 miles, crossing into Harris County, and attracting officers from the Houston Police Department.

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The driver exited the freeway around Hopper Road and crashed the car into a ditch. Morones jumped out of the car before it had stopped moving and took off on foot.

When the cops searched the vehicle they found five guns — including a pistol grip pump shotgun and a derringer, about 19 grams of meth, digital scales and baggies to package the drugs for sale near where Morones was seated. The cops arrested two women at the scene.

Morones went to the ground for about 24 hours. The cops caught up to him at the Mustang Inn, one of Houston's many by-the-hour motels, the next night.

When five-oh started moving in, Morones climbed into a white Chevy Malibu and tried to run again. A phalanx of officers stopped him before he made it out of the motel parking lot.

Morones was charged with aggravated assault of a public servant, possession with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and evading arrest with a motor vehicle.

Since Morones had been previously convicted of assault family violence and possession of firearm by a felon, under Texas' three strikes law he was facing g 25-99 or life for each of his charges.

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