A man accused of ramming a pickup truck into a Raleigh police car and leading officers on a high-speed chase days later appeared in court on Thursday.
Elmer Bautista-Candela, 21, faces more than a dozen charges stemming from the incident. 
A judge ultimately granted the prosecutor’s request to go beyond guidelines by setting Candela’s bond at $750,000.
Prosecutors said Candela was an “extreme danger” to the public and should be considered a flight risk, noting that he has a history of missing court. 
During the first appearance hearing, prosecutors laid out the multi-day effort to take Candela into custody. 
Candela stayed mostly quiet during the appearance, only answering “yes” or “no” to the judge’s questions.
He is accused of ramming head-on into a Raleigh police cruiser and sideswiping another officer’s car during a car break-in investigation on Thistlebrook Court early Saturday.
Dashcam video shows the incident unfold. 
Warrants in the case say Candela stole nearly $700 worth of construction tools from a vehicle before fleeing from police. 
“He ignored officer commands, got into his red pickup truck. He then sideswiped one of the RPD vehicles, which caused injuries to an officer’s leg,” prosecutors said. 
Prosecutors revealed that Candela has pending charges from police at WakeMed Raleigh Hospital, where they accuse him of trying to steal a motorcycle. 
WakeMed law enforcement ultimately helped Raleigh police identify Candela after the car ramming incident. 
“Video footage of the suspect was obtained during RPD’s investigation of this incident. It was distributed to law enforcement, and the defendant was identified by a WakeMed officer that recognized him from the June 27th larceny of a motor vehicle incident,” prosecutors said. 
Four days later, when officers tried to arrest Candela on Solar Drive in Raleigh, investigators say he stole a truck and led authorities on a high-speed chase in a stolen pickup truck. 
“The defendant reached speeds of 115 mph in a 45-mph zone. When he was fleeing, he crashed into multiple vehicles,” prosecutors said. 
After ditching the truck and fleeing on foot, prosecutors say Candela then barricaded himself in a home on Bashford Road in southwest Raleigh before a SWAT team helped arrest him hours later. 
Court documents show Candela was on probation from a separate assault when the car ramming and chase happened. 
He faces several charges, including two assaults with a deadly weapon with the intent to kill on an emergency worker, larceny of a motor vehicle, and fleeing/eluding arrest with a motor vehicle. 
If convicted, Candela could face a maximum of up to 52 years in prison. 
His next court date is scheduled for Sept. 11. 

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