Denair man kills himself by ramming Stanislaus sheriff patrol vehicles at 100 mph
A Denair man killed himself Monday night by running into Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department vehicles at 100 mph, the department said.
Sheriff’s deputies were called around 7:45 p.m. to the 4300 block of Hickman Road in Denair after a woman reported her husband, 39-year-old Javier Cueto-Aldaz, was suicidal and trying to hurt himself with a knife.
The department identified a man who matched Cueto-Aldaz’s description and appeared to be armed with a black rifle. Deputies believed he also possibly had a handgun and knife.
Deputies set up a command post about a mile away while the department helicopter provided an aerial view of the scene. Traffic was directed away from the area, and occupants of the home and nearby residents were asked to evacuate.
Cueto-Aldaz was seen drinking alcohol, walking in and out of the home and entering parked cars on the property, the department said.
A trained negotiator reached Cueto-Aldaz by telephone and tried to deescalate the situation. These negotiations stopped when he said he was prepared to end his life.
Cueto-Aldaz got into a pickup just before 10:30 p.m. and drove north on Hickman at 100 mph toward the deputies’ command post. The truck collided with three patrol cars, caught fire and overturned in a nearby orchard.
All deputies had run safely away from the oncoming pickup before Cueto-Aldaz crashed, the department said. They returned to help pull Cueto-Aldaz from the pickup and render medical aid.
He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s department said it will release video of the incident after footage from body cameras and the helicopter has been reviewed.
Any witnesses can contact Detective Darwin Summerton at 209-525-7032 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-866-602-7463 or the P3 Tip mobile app.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 6:16 PM.
