SANTA FE, Texas—A repeat DWI offender was arrested Monday night after a police chase through Santa Fe and Alvin. A Santa Fe officer responded to a hit-and-run call at Highway 6 and FM 646 just before 9 p.m. The victim told the officer he was sitting at a red light at the intersection when a vehicle struck him from behind and took off. Moments later, another Santa Fe officer coincidentally pulled the hit-and-run suspect over for reckless driving. Police said the suspect initially stopped, but then he took off. Santa Fe officers said they gave chase at speeds in excess of 100 mph along Highway 6 into Alvin, where the suspect gave up and was taken into custody. Police identified him as Ralph Lynn Foltz Jr. Foltz was driving a brand new red Kia Rio with two empty beer cans still inside, according to police. He had insurance and a valid driver’s license. Police suspected Foltz might be intoxicated, so they asked him to perform field sobriety tests. They said Foltz refused, and he also refused a breath test. Investigators said a records check revealed Foltz has 10 previous DWI arrests and four felony DWI convictions. Police said when they drew Foltz’s blood for a mandatory alcohol test, he physically resisted and threatened to murder the arresting officer. "Totally incoherent, filthy, foulmouthed, belittling the officers, threatened to kill one of my officers," said Santa Fe Police Captain Wayne Kessler. In a press release sent to 11 News on Tuesday, Santa Fe police said they plan to begin asset forfeiture proceedings on Foltz’s vehicle. "We do find it disappointing that even with Foltz’s DWI history, he holds a valid driver’s license issued by the State of Texas," the department stated in the release. The longest the Texas Department of Public Safety can suspend someone’s license is two years. If they satisfy all the requirements and pay all the necessary fees after that period of time, they can get their license back. Even the wrecker driver at the scene wanted to know why. "Something’s wrong with the system. We need to look at drunk drivers and how we treat them," said Albert Winwood, whose wife was killed by a drunk driver 24 years ago. Foltz has been charged with DWI, evading arrest, resisting arrest and obstruction. He’s being held on $561,000 bond. "I’m just glad that my officers weren’t injured, and none of our citizens, and that he’s locked up where he belongs," said Kessler. According to records from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, first two of Foltz’s four felony DWI convictions were in Harris County, and he was sentenced to three years in prison in 1995. He was released on mandatory supervision in July of 1996. A parole violation sent him back to prison a year later, and he was released again in January of 1998. After a third DWI conviction in Fort Bend County in 2005, he was sentenced to three years in prison. A fourth DWI conviction later that same year in Galveston County netted him a four-year prison sentence, which records show ran concurrent with the Fort Bend case. TDCJ said he served only one year in prison on those last two convictions. Foltz was released on parole in October of 2006.
