A Denton bail bondsman is being held without bond in Denton County Jail after allegedly fleeing in his 2007 Hummer on Tuesday from a sheriff’s deputy with warrants for his arrest.

William Lee "Mitch" Mitchell III

The deputy was attempting to serve an indictment warrant on William Lee “Mitch” Mitchell III, 38, who lists a Dallas address, for the Denton charge of endangering a child. Mitchell also was held on a “writ of attachment” warrant signed by a judge in a civil case ordering that he be held without bail for contempt of court because he missed a court appearance.

Deputy David Byrom was waiting outside Mitchell’s house when he drove by and spotted the unmarked car. Capt. Jeff Wawro said the deputy had information that Mitchell would be coming to the house and was waiting for him, along with a U.S. Marshal who was assisting.

“They pinned him in a circle driveway, but he backed out and got around them,” Wawro said. “They followed him in the Lemmon Avenue, Dallas [North] Tollway area for several minutes.”

Mitchell eventually drove off the road in the sport utility vehicle and through a wooded area.

“He came to an abrupt stop when he fell in a ravine,” the captain said.

Byrom caught him as he ran away from the SUV, trying to empty his pockets as he ran, Wawro said. Byrom found $900 on the ground and $47,000 in cash and traveler’s checks in the truck. He also found a trace of methamphetamine on Mitchell’s clothing, Wawro said.

Mitchell said in an interview at the jail Wednesday that his legal problems began when he sued District Attorney Paul Johnson, alleging libel in 2006 over a flier Johnson mailed during his campaign against then-District Attorney Bruce Isaacks. The flier implied that Mitchell made a campaign contribution in return for having a charge dropped. Mitchell actually was convicted.

“That’s when everything started to unravel,” Mitchell said. “The only defense Johnson has against libel is for me to have no credibility.”

But law enforcement officers say Mitchell has brought on all his own legal problems. Since he filed the suit, Mitchell has been charged with a financial crime, assault, two drug charges, endangering a child and three counts of criminal mischief.

The latest charges stem from a May 7 incident involving a 2008 Ford F-250 pickup he was test-driving. Mitchell said he had signed a sale agreement for the truck but said no money had changed hands.

He drove to property he co-owns with David Moreno, who was his lawyer in the libel suit. The two now are angry with each other. Mitchell allegedly backed the new truck into Moreno’s vehicle, knocking it into a third vehicle. Mitchell’s small daughter was in the front seat of the truck.

Denton police said they found cash and a small quantity of methamphetamine inside the truck.

They seized the cash and the Porsche that Mitchell drove to the Ford dealer, alleging they were used to commit the crime of endangering a child.

Mitchell said law enforcement agencies now have his Porsche, his Lexus, his Hummer and a large amount of his cash.

“They’ve stolen all my money and all my cars,” he said. “That money is not drug money. I’ve had it since the ’90s. I took it out of my account to protect it because Denton police took money out of my account with a subpoena.”

But Wawro said the Hummer was full of Mitchell’s property along with the nearly $50,000 and it appears that he was planning to flee.

In the court document used to obtain the arrest warrant on an evading arrest charge also filed against Mitchell on Tuesday, Byrom wrote that Mitchell has contacted him several times recently with wild stories of people hiding in his attic, following him and trying to steal his identity in a plot he called “Switch Mitch.”

Mitchell also mentioned “Switch Mitch” in the jailhouse interview and said he has no idea what that means.

Byrom asked in the affidavit that Mitchell receive a mental evaluation while he is in the county jail.

“Your affiant has communicated to Mitchell that he be­lieves that he is having some mental problems and advised him to seek help from a medical professional. Mitchell has agreed to do so on several occasions, but has not done so as far as your affiant is aware,” Byrom wrote.

Mitchell would not say in the interview whether he uses meth­amphetamine but denied selling it. He is afraid, he said.

“I’m terrified. I’m scared all the time,” he said. “I’m afraid someone’s going to take me out in a field and shoot me.”

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .