On Wednesday, July 17th, around 3:00 PM, a Willcox Police Officer assigned to Operation Stonegarden responded to an emergency involving an elderly man lying in the roadway at the intersection of Highway 80 and Yellowjacket Way in Tombstone. While paramedics were arriving on the scene, the officer noticed a black Hyundai approaching at high speed. The driver, later identified as 42-year-old Robert Cota from Tucson, AZ, was talking on a cell phone and violated Arizona’s “Move Over Law.”
The officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but Cota accelerated rapidly, fleeing at speeds exceeding 110 miles per hour. The officer relayed the vehicle's description, license plate number, and details about Cota. When the pursuit reached St. David, the officer terminated the chase in hopes that Cota would slow down. Assistance was requested from the Benson Police Department and the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department to intercept the vehicle.
Cota attempted to elude officers by turning off Highway 80 onto Sibyl Rd. Shortly after, a U.S. Border Patrol agent found the vehicle, which had crashed off the roadway. Cota fled on foot through the desert, but was tracked by Willcox Police, Border Patrol agents, and Cochise County Sheriff’s Deputies. A Cochise County Sheriff’s drone and a Border Patrol tracking K-9 were deployed, and Cota was located and taken into custody.
A check of the vehicle's information revealed it had been reported stolen from Pima County. A Willcox Police Drug Recognition Expert assessed Cota and determined he appeared to be impaired by drugs. Cota was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries. A search warrant for a blood draw was granted, and Cota complied with the request for a blood sample.
Cota was transported to the Cochise County Jail in Bisbee and booked on multiple charges, including Possession of Stolen Property, Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, Criminal Speed, Reckless Driving, Endangerment, Resisting Arrest, Obstruction, Tampering with Evidence, Criminal Damage, Driving Under the Influence (Slightest Degree), and Driving Under the Influence of Drugs.
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