A North Dakota man arrested after a high-speed pursuit through the Lincoln area Tuesday has been charged with murder in the death of his mother, Fargo police said Wednesday. Brandon George, 42, was taken into custody near Ashland and booked into Lancaster County Jail after authorities stopped the Toyota Camry he was driving.
At a news conference Wednesday, Fargo Police Capt. Matt Christensen identified the victim as 60-year-old Pamela Mendoza. Officers found her dead Monday afternoon inside the Fargo apartment she shared with George after family members requested a welfare check because she had missed work and had not been in contact.
Christensen said investigators believe Mendoza died from severe trauma and resulting injuries, though the medical examiner is still determining her exact cause of death. George was not at the apartment when officers arrived, and Mendoza’s gray 2014 Toyota Camry was missing.
Fargo police entered the vehicle’s information into a national law enforcement database early Tuesday and alerted other agencies to look for George and the car. Christensen said an automated license plate reader alerted Nebraska authorities to the vehicle’s presence on Interstate 80 less than five hours later.
Milford police located the Camry and attempted to stop it, but the driver fled. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, troopers joined the pursuit shortly before 8:40 a.m. as the car traveled east on I-80 through the Lincoln area at speeds above 100 mph.
Near Waverly, George allegedly drove onto the shoulder toward a trooper attempting to deploy stop sticks. Troopers successfully deployed the tire-deflation devices a short time later, and the Camry exited at the Ashland interchange and stopped.
The patrol said George refused commands to leave the vehicle for several minutes before exiting shortly after 9:10 a.m. He was arrested without further incident, and no injuries were reported.
Christensen said the murder charge was filed late Tuesday afternoon. Two Fargo detectives traveled to Nebraska Wednesday to attempt to interview George and process the Camry for additional evidence. Christensen said he did not know whether the extradition process had begun.
The State Patrol also listed Nebraska charges of willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, attempted commission of a Class I felony and terroristic threats. Lincoln and Milford police and the Lancaster, Seward and Cass county sheriff’s offices assisted in the pursuit.
Fargo investigators are continuing to establish a timeline leading up to Mendoza’s death. Christensen said her last known contact was toward the end of last week.