A 28-year-old Oregon man charged with murdering his mother’s partner and an unrelated man escaped from court late last month, and footage of the escape has just been released.
Ed Villalobos was in court on February 27 to stand trial for allegedly stabbing his mother’s partner in April 2021 and then allegedly stabbing another man two hours later before leading police on an hours-long pursuit, the Daily Mail reported. Courthouse cameras show Villalobos being walked into the courtroom before a sheriff’s deputy pats him down and removes his wrist and ankle restraints, per Oregon law, as the suspect waits patiently.
“When it comes to removing the restraints, that’s what Oregon law requires us to do,” a Washington County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told KATU.
Once the shackles were removed, Villalobos briefly acts as if he’s going to take his seat, but instead he makes a mad dash for the courtroom door, which was left unguarded. Cameras then show Villalobos rushing out of the Washington County Courthouse, past a frightened onlooker, as deputies pursue.
Watch the escape below:
The suspect disappeared into the surrounding town and wasn’t captured until two hours later when someone called the sheriff’s office to say a man was trying to break into an apartment nearby. The owner of the apartment told deputies that it was supposed to be vacant, and when sheriff’s deputies entered, they found Villalobos hiding in a closet underneath a blanket.
Now, in addition to the murder charges, he faces charges related to his escape, KATU reported.
Villalobos’ trial has been rescheduled for a later date.
He stands trial for the alleged stabbing of Artemio Guzman-Olvera, 33, who was dating Villalobos’ mother, The Oregonian reported. Guzman-Olvera died at the scene. After allegedly stabbing Guzman-Olvera, Villalobos fled the scene in a car and allegedly stabbed another man, Saul Antonio Ramirez Aguierre, 26, two hours later. Ramirez Aguierre was flown to a hospital but reportedly survived his injuries.
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About half an hour after Ramirez Aguierre was stabbed, a Tualatin, Oregon, police officer saw Villalobos’ car and began following him along with other officers. The suspect stopped the car and fled on foot, but was quickly arrested.