A Harris County man will spend 45 years in prison for a 30-mile, 120 mph chase that began in a Woodlands parking garage.

Judge Phil Grant of the 9th District Court of Montgomery County handed down the sentence after a jury convicted Anthony Reynard Haynes Jr., 39, of evading arrest or detention with a motor vehicle. The jury also found Haynes used his vehicle as a deadly weapon, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. The jury returned its guilty verdict on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Haynes was prosecuted as a habitual offender. No statement from Haynes' defense attorney appears in public records as of the sentencing.

How the chase unfolded

The case dates to Nov. 8, 2022. That day, the Shenandoah Police Department responded to a vehicle burglary report at Memorial Hermann Hospital in The Woodlands. Haynes and two other men were reported to 911 for stealing work tools from a truck.

A Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputy later spotted Haynes' vehicle in a separate Woodlands parking garage and tried to make a felony traffic stop. Haynes fled.

The pursuit stretched roughly 30 miles and hit speeds of about 120 mph before Haynes crashed in Harris County. A Shenandoah police officer followed the chase across the county line. After the crash, Haynes and two passengers ran on foot.

A Harris County Precinct 4 Constable K-9 deputy and the Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter unit helped track Haynes to a wooded area, where he was hiding. The other two occupants were also arrested.

Investigators found the stolen tools inside Haynes' vehicle, along with several stolen catalytic converters belonging to unidentified victims.

Prior felony charges

At the time of the November 2022 pursuit, Haynes was already facing two felony charges in Walker County and Harris County. When officers later tried to serve the Montgomery County warrant, he fled in a vehicle again and picked up another felony evading charge.

By the time the case reached trial, Haynes had four pending felony cases across three jurisdictions.

"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. … Eventually, running catches up with you," District Attorney Michael R. Holley said in a statement Aug. 31.

Assistant District Attorneys Victoria Powell and Katherine Wiethorn prosecuted the case. The DA's office credited 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 effort.

Haynes will serve his sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.