Law enforcement arrested a man Wednesday whose escape from La Villa police custody last month prompted school closures and a minor manhunt, and documents say it’s not his first time trying to flee from custody.
Documents detailing that alleged escape describe him wriggling his handcuffed hands in front of him, opening the back door of a marked police car and successfully fleeing on foot from a chief of police and a detective.
Police arrested Romeo Garza, 32, Wednesday and charged him with criminal mischief, escape while arrested and possession class page 1 less than one gram.
Garza was still in jail Friday morning.
The criminal mischief charge seems to be related to an incident in October 2021 in which Garza allegedly threw a rusted pulley at a woman’s truck and shattered her back window.
The other two charges appear to be related to Garza’s encounter with police Jan. 25, the incident that led to his alleged escape and the search for him.
Documents describe La Villa Police Chief Felix Ramos recognizing and following him down North Gumwood Street in La Villa.
When Garza stopped, he identified himself and officers placed him in handcuffs for outstanding warrants, the documents said.
“Romeo Garza was then escorted to the patrol unit, where he was seated in the rear seat and seat belted in,” the documents read.
When Garza realized the car he had been driving was being inventoried for impound he became aggressive, the documents said, attempting to kick out one of the back windows of the police car.
“Romeo Garza twisted his body and removed his seatbelt and dragged his arms under his feet (with) his hands and cuffs in front of his waist,” the documents said.
Still handcuffed, Garza allegedly opened the door and fled on foot. Chief Ramos and a detective tried to run after Garza “but he was too fast.”
The department called in assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter unit, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Edcouch
“After an immediate search of the surrounding neighborhood was made the search was called off,” records said.
Law enforcement later allegedly found crack cocaine and what appeared to be crack pipes in the car.
Later in the investigation, police began going door to door at locations where they thought Garza may be hiding out and were eventually tipped off by a concerned citizen.
They were told he was sitting on the front porch of a residence near the East Hidalgo Detention Center.
La Villa police officers arrested him there and he was booked in the Hidalgo County Jail Feb. 16.
Garza has a criminal history that stretches back to at least 2008 and previously allegedly escaped from Edcouch police custody about eight months ago during a late-night traffic stop.
