Police seek man accused of fleeing from custody
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

CAMARILLO

A handcuffed man escaped from a police car and a reward is now being offered his capture.

An El Campo Police officer had stopped at the parking lot of Rancho Village Apartments, 1610 S. Mechanic, between 1:38 and 2:27 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 to help a county deputy who'd stopped a speeder.

The driver, Luis Manuel Pinon Camarillo, 24, is a Mexican national believed to live around the intersection of FM 441 at FM 1300. He was allegedly driving a Ford Tempo that was leaking fluids from damage to its front end. Police say he told them he hit something in the parking lot of a local bar, and an ECPD sergeant located that vehicle.

Police then found Camarillo didn't have a driver's license or insurance, so handcuffed him behind his back and put him in the rear seat of a patrol car.

The officer returned to ask a question and saw Camarillo had wriggled around and now had the handcuffs in front of him.

The officer locked him back in the car and left again, to inventory Camarillo's car, which reportedly contained several open beers.

When the officer returned to his patrol unit, the back left door of the car was open and the suspect was gone.

Rear doors on police cars are normally set to remain locked unless opened from the front half of the car, but apparently the rear left door did not relock itself when the officer pressed the button to lock all doors.

Camarillo is wanted on warrants for escape from custody, no driver's license, no liability insurance, open alcohol container in a motor vehicle and backing without safety.

If you have information on Camarillo's whereabouts, please call West Wharton County Crime Stoppers at 543-TIPS (543-8477).

People can call Crime Stoppers Callers and do not have to give their names to qualify for a reward. Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and grand jury indictment of wanted felons.