ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A dramatic scene unfolded outside a Smith’s grocery store near Yale and Coal on April 29, where bystanders watched in disbelief as a woman clung to the hood of a speeding Dodge Challenger.
According to police, the driver—27-year-old David Cervantes—was seen on security footage with his girlfriend on the hood after allegedly taking her purse. Witnesses described hearing screams before the car peeled out of the parking lot. “She was on the hood and then he hauled *** that way,” one told officers.
Cervantes claimed he gave her a chance to get off. She did—just before he crashed into another vehicle down the street. He blamed the other driver for being on their phone. Police weren’t buying it.
The real twist came after the arrest. Inside the Challenger, officers found an AR-style rifle with an altered serial number, over 120,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 29,000 prescription pills, and more than $49,000 in cash. A wad of money was also found in a bag Cervantes referred to as his wallet.
The woman was hospitalized in stable condition. Cervantes now faces charges including aggravated battery, kidnapping, and six felony drug trafficking counts. His trial is scheduled for next year.
