by | Published
Early Friday morning, at approximately 7:00 a.m., a Victoria County Deputy Sheriff encountered a vehicle stopped at the intersection of Airline and Navarro. The driver failed to proceed through the intersection when the light turned green. The deputy, concerned for the driver's welfare, exited his vehicle to check on them. However, upon the deputy's approach, the driver fled on foot towards Arroyo Street, prompting the deputy to give chase.
A resident in the 2000 block of Arroyo noticed the commotion and flagged down additional law enforcement officers who were arriving at the scene. They informed the officers that the driver had fallen into the viaduct water drainage system before crawling into an underground tunnel, evading capture.
Despite several attempts to persuade the driver to surrender, he remained concealed within the tunnel. Eventually, a deputy entered the tunnel and successfully located the driver, who was then taken into custody upon exiting. The incident necessitated the diversion of traffic for several hours.
The driver, identified as Angel Ramirez, 37 of Victoria, was transported to Citizens Medical Center for evaluation before being placed in the Victoria County Jail. Charges against Ramirez are pending.
Sheriff Marr expressed gratitude to the Victoria Police Department, Victoria Fire Department, and the US Marshals for their assistance in resolving the incident.
