COLORADO CITY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An inmate in Colorado City escaped from Mitchell County Jail Tuesday morning, causing concerns for residents in the area. While one resident worried for neighborhood safety, another took surveying matters into his own hands.
One neighbor of the jail said the day began like any other but when she went outside to water her plants, she saw helicopters in the sky.
It’s something the anonymous resident could only describe in one word, “It’s scary, you know, it’s scary.”
This source’s home is right next to the jail, which she said she thought would be a safe place to live, because of the law enforcement so close by. However, once she got an email which detailed that Pedro Martinez had escaped just next to her, she didn’t feel safe.
“On my porch, in my neighborhood, at my house… So where are we safe anymore?”
To make matters more intense, the Colorado City Police Department (CCPD) had initially warned the public that Martinez was ‘extremely dangerous’ around 8:30 Tuesday morning. That post was later edited, around 11:00 a.m., to remove the claim.
Another Colorado City resident, Joe Rivera, told KTAB/KRBC he heard there was an inmate who escaped, and he said he felt the need to help.
“I just decided to stay and pick a point at the river to oversee it, and see if there was a possibility of spotting him,” explained Rivera.
It was because Rivera had family in the area that he chose to stay and survey for about an hour-and-a-half. But he said he also felt like it was his duty to help his community.
“Everybody pitches in and does what they have to do to help an effort, a cause… Or in this case, an escape,” Rivera detailed.
Sergeant Marc Couch with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), told KTAB/KEBC the inmate, Martinez, was granted ‘trustee status.’
“They have a little bit more leeway to be in different areas and under a little bit lower security at those times,” Sgt. Couch outlined.
According to authorities, Martinez was unloading a food supply truck when he made his escape around 5:00 Tuesday morning.
While Sgt. Couch said he wants all of Colorado City and Mitchell County to take necessary safety precautions, he said there was no need to feel terrified about this escape. Although escapees can be dangerous, Sgt. Couch said it was his belief that Martinez’s main goal was just to get out of the jail.
“He’s on drug charges in the facility. He’s been no threat to individuals or anyone else,” Sgt. Couch revealed.
As of this time, authorities have still not located Pedro Martinez. Authorities encourage anyone with information to call its non-emergency number at (325) 728-5294, or call 9-1-1 if you see him in-person.
