By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
GENEVA — The man who led police officers on a high-speed chase through the city Saturday morning has a history of fleeing and eluding in Geneva, Western County Court records show.
Balbino Mendez, 39, of Geneva, will face five felony charges of failure to stop in a right of way, reckless operation, fleeing and eluding, driving under suspension and driving while impaired, court records show
He will be arraigned Thursday, court records show.
Geneva Police Officer Chris Cahill initiated a traffic stop at 2:33 a.m. Saturday on Route 84, by Kiwanis Park, police reports show, when Mendez first was slow to pull over and then raced off in his red Mazda, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph, police dispatch records show.
Mendez passed Myers Road at 65 mph and eventually traveled north on Myers Road before slowing down to 30 mph, police dispatch records show.
Mendez came to a stop alongside the road, just south of Route 20, Cahill reports, and an interpreter was called to the scene to communicate with Mendez, dispatch records show.
Cahill has a history of chasing Mendez, Western County Court records show, as Cahill was the responding officer in a May incident in which Mendez was found guilty of fleeing and eluding and driving under suspension.
Mendez also was convicted of speeding in July, which put his license into suspension as of Oct. 13, Western County Court records show.
Mendez also was convicted of two speeding violations in 2007, and one in 2006 and one in 2005, Western County Court records show.
He has no criminal convictions, court records show.
