Habitual offender receives 45 years after 120 mph pursuit

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- A Montgomery County judge has sentenced Anthony Reynard Haynes, Jr., 39, to 45 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of Evading Arrest or Detention with a Motor Vehicle and found that he used his vehicle as a deadly weapon during a high-speed pursuit that stretched approximately 30 miles and reached speeds of 120 mph.

The jury returned its guilty verdict on August 26, 2026, following a trial in the 9th District Court of Montgomery County. After the jury’s verdict and deadly-weapon finding, The Honorable

Judge Phil Grant assessed punishment at 45 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Haynes was prosecuted as a habitual offender.

The case began on November 8, 2022, when the Shenandoah Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle burglary at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands. Haynes, a Harris County resident, and two other men were reported to 911 for stealing work tools from a truck.

A short time later, a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office deputy located Haynes’ vehicle in another parking garage in The Woodlands and attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop. Rather than surrender, Haynes fled, beginning a pursuit that continued for approximately 30 miles.

A Shenandoah police officer continued the pursuit into Harris County, where Haynes reached speeds of approximately 120 mph before crashing. Haynes and two other occupants fled from the vehicle on foot.

With assistance from a Harris County Precinct 4 Constable K-9 deputy and the Texas Department of Public Safety Helicopter Unit, Haynes was ultimately located hiding in a nearby wooded area and taken into custody. The other occupants were also arrested. Investigators recovered the victim’s stolen tools, along with several stolen catalytic converters belonging to unidentified victims, from Haynes’ vehicle.

At the time of the offense, Haynes was already facing two other felony charges, one in Walker County and another in Harris County. When law enforcement later attempted to arrest Haynes on the Montgomery County warrant, he again fled in a vehicle and was charged with an additional felony offense of evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle. By the time this case proceeded to trial, Haynes had four pending felony cases across three jurisdictions.

Assistant District Attorneys Victoria Powell and Katherine Wiethorn prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Texas.

District Attorney Michael R. Holley said, “A vehicle traveling 120 miles per hour to escape law enforcement is a deadly weapon, and this jury recognized it for exactly what it was. Haynes repeatedly chose to run from the law, putting innocent people and law enforcement officers in danger to avoid facing the consequences of his own actions. Eventually, running catches up with you. We are grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and for Judge Grant’s 45-year sentence, which ensures this habitual offender will not be putting our community at risk again anytime soon.”

Assistant District Attorney Victoria Powell said, “For 30 miles, this defendant treated public roadways like his personal escape route, reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour and endangering every officer, driver, and family in his path. This wasn’t one bad decision. It was a series of deliberate choices to run, to endanger others, and to refuse accountability. This 45-year sentence makes clear those choices have consequences.”

The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office thanks the Shenandoah Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety for the coordinated law enforcement effort that brought this dangerous pursuit to an end.