CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — A Casa Grande man who led Border Patrol agents on a high-speed chase that ended in a violent shootout has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.
Alejandro Rodriguez Stalter, 31, was convicted this week of assaulting a federal officer after he used an AR-15 rifle to shoot at a Border Patrol agent during a chase through the Arizona desert.
In August 2020, Stalter picked up two undocumented migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border and planned to transport them to cities in the U.S. When they arrived at a Border Patrol checkpoint, Stalter sped up and attempted to evade the agents.
The defendant drove for about 20 miles before his vehicle collided with a guidewire for an electric pole, public records show.
An agent caught up to the suspect's vehicle and was shot at by Stalter from inside the car. The agent took cover and returned fire.
Stalter, who had one of his legs amputated several years earlier, was shot several times and continued trying to accelerate his immobilized car before surrendering to the agents. He was taken to a Chandler hospital and treated for his gunshot wounds.
The two people in Stalter's car were taken into custody. No other injuries were reported during the chase.
Court records show Stalter was under the influence of methamphetamine on the day of the incident.
"Defendant admitted to daily use of methamphetamine for ten years and being under the influence of methamphetamine when he committed these offenses," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.
Stalter was convicted of negligent homicide in Pinal County several years ago and has spent time in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
His attorneys say Stalter has suffered from substance abuse issues for years due to having endured a traumatic childhood.
"Mr. (Stalter) acknowledges that he has a problem. He is willing to make drastic changes in his life," the defendant's counsel wrote in a statement.
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