Rio Rancho Man Arrested After McDonald's Burglary, Wild Police Chase

Olandis Gonzales, 24, faces up to 20 years in prison after allegedly robbing a McDonald's on Southern Boulevard at gunpoint and then leading Rio Rancho Police Department officers on a chase across the city that ended with his arrest at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center.

Gonzales was arrested Feb. 15. According to criminal complaints filed in court, callers reported that a man showed a gun and demanded money from the register at the Southern Boulevard McDonald's at around 4 p.m. Officers responded and reviewed surveillance footage provided by McDonald's staff, which they used to identify Gonzales as the suspect. He left the scene before officers could detain him.

One caller told police she had been with Gonzales at the time but said she did not know he had robbed the McDonald's.

Before police caught up with him at Rust, Gonzales allegedly led officers on a chase around the city. In the parking lot of the Whataburger on Unser Boulevard, he allegedly drove recklessly and attempted to strike an officer who was standing outside their vehicle, according to the complaint. The chase ended at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, where Gonzales was taken into custody. He allegedly battered a security guard at the hospital before or during his arrest.

Criminal complaints filed in court list nine charges against Gonzales: assault with intent to commit a violent felony, aggravated assault upon a peace officer, false imprisonment, reckless driving, criminal damage to property, leaving the scene of an accident, battery upon a health care worker, DUI, and evading arrest at Rust.

It is worth noting that the incident at the McDonald's has been described differently across accounts. The criminal complaint, as reported, describes callers' accounts of a robbery in which a gun was displayed and money was demanded. An earlier headline describing the case used the word "burglary." The distinction carries legal significance, though the precise charge classification will be determined through court proceedings.

No information has been released publicly on whether a firearm was recovered, whether the officer in the Whataburger parking lot or the Rust security guard sustained injuries, or whether Gonzales has entered a plea or retained counsel. His pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for March 3.