A man wanted on burglary and assault charges eluded capture during a meandering police chase in Reading’s northwest section.
Steven Rivera-Lopez, 36, was one of the names that recently appeared in the weekly Wanted in Berks feature in the Reading Eagle.
According to the Berks County sheriff’s office, Rivera-Lopez, whose last known address is in the 800 block of Green Street, was charged by city police with felony counts of burglary and aggravated assault after a Dec. 16 incident. They said Rivera-Lopez entered the victim’s home without permission and struck the victim in the head repeatedly with metal pliers.
Steven Rivera-Lopez
Reading police on Wednesday added the following charges stemming from the chase: escape, flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest, obstructing administration and summary traffic offenses.
According to the probable cause affidavit:
About 9 p.m. Saturday, Officer Bryan Bilous was alerted that a city traffic camera recorded a car associated with a wanted man, Rivera-Lopez. The gray Acura TSX was southbound on Schuylkill Avenue.
Bilous and Officer Cesar Arias responded from City Hall and found the car, occupied by two people, parked illegally in front of a hydrant in the 100 block of West Greenwich Street.
Bilous alerted dispatch of the car’s location and pulled behind it, turning on his emergency lights and siren.
As he walked up to the driver’s side door, the man in the driver’s seat pulled up his mask but not before Bilous caught a glimpse of his face and recognized him as Rivera-Lopez.
Bilous motioned for the man to get out of the car, but Rivera-Lopez did not comply. The officer opened the door and told him several times to get out, but he still did not comply.
Rivera-Lopez said he needed to call someone and took off his fanny pack, handing it to an unidentified female passenger.
Bilous drew his Taser and ordered Rivera-Lopez again to get out.
The officer tried unsuccessfully to pull Rivera-Lopez from the car, and Rivera-Lopez grabbed the steering wheel and began to turn it as if he was planning to drive away.
Bilous deployed his Taser. The probes appeared to strike the man in area of the low abdomen and upper thigh but did not temporarily disable him.
Rivera-Lopez shifted the transmission into drive and sped off, traveling west on West Greenwich at speeds approaching 60 mph.
By the time Bilous and Arias returned to their patrol vehicle, the Acura was out of sight.
As the patrol vehicle turned north into the 600 block of Clinton Street, the officers spotted the Acura, now with its headlights off, parked on the west side of the street.
They stopped in front of the car and got out. Arias drew his firearm and ordered the occupants out, but the driver threw the Acura into reverse and hit the accelerator, tires spinning, before making a U-turn and fleeing north on Clinton.
After returning to the patrol vehicle, the officers were unable to resume the chase due to engine or transmission trouble.
The Acura was last seen turning from West Douglass onto Miltimore Street.
Anyone with information about Rivera-Lopez’s whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s warrants division at 610-478-6390.
Tips can be made via Crime Alert Berks County’s anonymous tip line, 877-373-9913. Tips can also be sent via text, using the keyword “alert berks,” to 847411. Crime Alert will pay a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.