Sequin, TX - Shackled Burglary Suspect Steals Police Car - Massive Search with DPS Helicopter
Shackled Suspect Eludes Seguin Officers
POSTED: 9:31 pm CDT June 27, 2007
UPDATED: 11:01 pm CDT June 27, 2007
SEGUIN, Texas -- A burglary suspect escaped police custody on Tuesday
afternoon in Seguin and led police on a three-hour manhunt, police said.
Damian Rodriguez, 34, who officers said has connections with the Mexican Mafia,
escaped police custody while showing detectives places he had burglarized.
Police said the officers left the suspect alone for a brief moment and
Rodriguez, who was wearing an orange jump suit, leg shackles, and handcuffs,
stole their police cruiser.
Rodriguez drove the cruiser about four blocks and abandoned it, police said.
Seguin police and Guadalupe County deputies began searching door-to-door for
Rodriguez.
Police searched for several hours until a citizen called police to report that
they had seen Rodriguez crossing a nearby street.
Officers responded to the call and said they eventually recaptured Rodriguez
less than one mile away from where he escaped.
Seguin Police Chief Luis Collazo said his officers had no excuse for the
mistake and they plan to avoid it in the future.