Police arrest reckless driver in Corrales who barricaded in stranger’s home

Brenden Mulvaney, 35, of Edgewood, was arrested February 18 for aggravated fleeing law enforcement, aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, no registration plate and no insurance proof in the Village of Corrales.

Corrales police were working traffic enforcement when they heard a very loud engine and car horn honking. Notes say the car was a Dodge Challenger without a license plate driving on the wrong side of the road. It almost hit another car.

Officers tried to pull the car over but the Challenger didn’t slow down and instead started swerving around cars on the opposite side of the road. Officers decided not to pursue at that time. The Challenger then turned onto Camino Todo Los Santos, then onto Loma Larga back into Corrales. Officers followed suit.

Because the car was so loud the officer following was able to get a general direction of which way the vehicle was going when they lost sight of it. Some pedestrians flagged down the officer and said the Challenger went down Tierra Encantada. However, they couldn’t find the vehicle after that.

A few moments later dispatch notified the officers that a woman living on Tierra Encantada called, saying someone broke into her garage and parked a car in it.

The driver closed the garage and tried to cover the car with a tarp. He discarded a large amount of cash throughout the garage on the floor. She said she didn’t know the man and that he didn’t have permission to be in her home.

Corrales police notified the county sheriff’s office and Rio Rancho police. Officers formed a perimeter around the house when they learned the man had barricaded himself in the house. They were able to get the homeowners out.

Police then made announcements for the man to come out of the house and surrender, but received no response. A county K9 was brought on scene to help.

With the K9, officers were able to sweep the house and apprehend the man.

While searching the vehicle they found a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the passenger side rear pouch.

Mulvaney will serve more than 11 years in prison if he is convicted.