Mark Loden, 54, of Cibolo was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, the Comal County District Attorney's office said. Loden entered an open plea, which included an affirmative finding that a deadly weapon was used or exhibited during the offense. Judge Bruce Boyer of the 22nd District Court determined the punishment.
The case began on Aug. 1, 2022, when New Braunfels police officers saw two motorcycles speeding in the 600 block of Loop 337. The district attorney's office said both drivers sped up when they noticed the officer. One driver stopped, but Loden kept fleeing through several streets, the office said. It said he drove recklessly, ran through multiple intersections, drove the wrong way on a frontage road of Interstate 35 and into oncoming traffic, and drove on a sidewalk.
The pursuit ended when Loden stopped near State Highway 46 South and Villa Vista. Officers found a handgun and marijuana in his backpack during a search, the office said. DPS troopers and Guadalupe County deputies also took part in the pursuit. New Braunfels police investigated the case, and Assistant District Attorneys Melissa Mulley and Cody Kent prosecuted it.