Man who believed the ‘Mafia’ was after him flees deputies

Pahrump resident Brian Hughes is facing multiple charges following a series of alleged incidents on Sunday, April 27.

According to a Nye County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, dispatchers received a report of a man, identified as Hughes, allegedly driving an older model green Ford Thunderbird in excess of 100 mph westbound at the intersection of Calvada and Pahrump Valley boulevards while recklessly passing other vehicles, when he failed to yield to a stop sign at approximately 8:30 a.m.

Sheriff’s Deputies James Ramos and Nicholas Finlayson initially responded to the situation but were unable to locate the vehicle, according to the report.

Both were then dispatched to Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, at 781 East Gamebird, regarding a call for an in-progress carjacking that allegedly took place.

Upon arrival, Ramos contacted the reporting party and another individual who had arrived at the church for Sunday services at roughly 9 a.m.

The reporting party’s passenger, according to the arrest report, exited the vehicle, a 2009 Honda Accord, while the driver remained in the driver’s seat to park the vehicle.

At that time, Hughes’ green Ford Thunderbird pulled into the parking lot of the church and parked close to the Honda on the driver’s side.

That’s when a male, identified a Brian Hughes, estimated to be in his forties, allegedly exited the Ford Thunderbird and approached the driver’s side door of the Honda.

“Brian then opened the driver’s side door of the Honda, unbuckled safety belt, and pulled the man’s arm,” the report stated. “Brian told the victim that, “The mafia is chasing me, and I need your car.”

Brian then got into the driver’s seat of the Honda and drove out of the parking lot of the church, where he reportedly fled eastbound on Gamebird Avenue.”

Not long afterward, additional deputies located Hughes, allegedly driving the Honda northbound on Highway 160 and Rainbow traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour, where they witnessed Hughes disregard a red light at Highway 160 and Homestead.

The chase continued on through Highway 160 and 372 at a high rate of speed when deputies lost visual contact near the intersection of Basin Avenue and Highway 160.

Shortly thereafter, deputies eventually located and clocked the Honda traveling at approximately 102 miles per hour at the intersection of Highway 160 and Leslie Avenue.

Deputies continued to follow Hughes onto West Carroll Street, at speeds up to 90 miles per hour and then onto southbound Gahn Drive, while almost colliding into oncoming vehicles, the report stated.

Hughes then turned around and traveled northbound on Gahn, where he reportedly collided with a pursuing sheriff’s unit.

He was then taken into custody at gunpoint.

While speaking to Hughes, deputies noted he had pinpoint pupils, made spontaneous utterances about the mafia following him and admitted to injecting “a lot” of methamphetamines on April 26.

As a result, deputies applied for and were approved for a telephonic search warrant for a blood draw at Desert View Hospital.

Following the initial investigation, Hughes faces a “laundry list” of charges including robbery, felony eluding, driving under the influence, reckless driving, assault on a protected person with a deadly weapon and grand larceny.

Additional charges include, assault with a deadly weapon and battery of an elderly person.

Bail amount was set at $57,000.

No serious injuries were reported, according to the report.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com.