19-year-old spurred chases, posted videos taunting cops for months, TX police say

A 19-year-old Texas man accused of instigating police chases and posting videos of them online has been sentenced, officials say.

The first incident happened April 30, followed by a string of chases over the coming weeks — some including the same police officer — until Timothy Vitaliy Fogel was arrested, the Kendall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said in an Oct. 22 news release.

In that first incident, investigators say a Boerne police officer, Eric DeLaRosa, noticed a black BMW without license plates stopped behind him. Fogel was behind the wheel, officials say.

“When Officer DeLaRosa turned to investigate, the masked driver made an obscene gesture and sped away, initiating a pursuit that continued into Bexar County before being terminated for safety reasons,” according to officials.

An investigation later revealed Fogel posted video of the chase, along with others, on his Instagram account, captioned “he tried but failed (AI FAKE FOOTAGE).”

About two weeks later, DeLaRosa and another officer were conducting a traffic stop on a highway when the same BMW sped by two times at more than 100 mph, coming within feet of them, the DA’s office said.

Fogel is accused of instigating another chase involving Boerne police on May 30, and speeding by an officer at the scene of a crash, according to the release. Police pursued the BMW up to speeds of 118 mph but called off the chase after Fogel crossed the Bexar County line.

On June 22, DeLaRosa spotted the BMW driving through Boerne, recognized it, activated emergency lights and gave chase, officials say.

“Fogel accelerated to over 100 mph on Main Street, weaving through traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road, and nearly colliding with another police vehicle,” investigators said.

More officers joined in the pursuit, police said. Officers tried to disable the vehicle with spike strips, but failed, and Fogel eventually escaped again when he crossed into Bexar County, officials said .

In video of the chase Fogel posted to Instagram, he wrote, “Boerne pd y’all slow … 20 or more cops still fail,” officials said .

However, authorities found an Instagram account, later identified as Fogel’s, which spurred an investigation that ultimately linked the chases to him, officials said .

“By combining open-source intelligence, social-media forensics, and traffic data, (investigators) built a unified timeline of Fogel’s conduct,” the DA’s office said.

Fogel’s phone number, email and IP address were attached to the Instagram account, and digital forensics revealed he accessed the account on multiple occasions while at his home in San Antonio, and at the times the videos were shared, officials said.

Fogel pleaded guilty to felony evading arrest and reckless driving and was sentenced to six years probation, with 10 years in prison if he breaks the terms of probation, according to the DA’s office, adding that “as a first-time offender, the court considered his lack of prior criminal history during sentencing.”

He is also required to pay his parents back for the cost of his legal fees and to write an apology letter to them, as well as letters to the police officers “who he endangered,” officials said.

Kendall County is a roughly 50-mile drive northwest from San Antonio.