ELLIS COUNTY, Texas — The Ellis County Sheriff's Office said a suspect was in custody Friday night following an hours-long manhunt after the suspect reportedly rammed his vehicle into a police officer.
Police officials said the incident began when the Rice Police Department got a call about a possible sexual assault happening in a vehicle. When police engaged the suspect, he reportedly intentionally rammed his vehicle into the officer, then drove to Ellis County.
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office said the Navarro County Sheriff's Office contacted them at approximately 1 p.m. Friday, reporting the crash that had just happened. The suspect drove away northbound from Navarro County on Oak Grove Road toward Ellis County.
An Ellis County sheriff deputy spotted the tow truck at approximately 1:11 p.m. on U.S. Highway 287 and Ensign Road in Ennis. The deputy then broadcasted out that he had fired his weapon after the tow truck "rammed" into his patrol vehicle, too. The collision disabled the deputy's car and knocked the vehicle back 38 feet, the Ellis County Sheriff's Office said in a Saturday news release. That deputy was not injured. The deputy who fired his weapon has been put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, per department policy.
The suspect took off again and – at approximately 1:14 p.m. – wrecked his tow-truck along U.S. Highway 287 at Nesuda Road. Police said he then ran into the woods towards Bardwell Lake.
At that time, law enforcement launched a large-scale search, which included K-9 units, all-terrain vehicles, a helicopter and officers on horseback. The search lasted more than six hours. At 7:22 p.m., the Texas Department of Corrections K9/Mounted Unit out of Tennessee Colony located the suspect near a waterline of Bardwell Lake. The suspect was taken into custody and received medical attention for injuries he received during the crash.
Laura Flores identified herself to WFAA as the suspect's mother. Flores told WFAA her son is 24-year-old Lorenzo Marquez of Dallas. .
Flores, a Dallas resident, said she was at work when she learned of the manhunt involving her son. She drove to Ellis County and stood by as she waited to hear updates from officials.
Moments after learning of his capture, she said she felt relief.
"I'm just happy they got him and he's safe and still alive," Flores said.
Flores said the only information she knew was that her son was involved in some form of altercation and injury involving two officers. Additionally, she said her son was wanted for violating his probation for a theft crime that happened years ago. The Ellis County Sheriff's Office corroborated in its Saturday news release that Marquez was wanted on a probation violation for burglary by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.
"If you did something bad, you have to pay for it," Flores said. "I don't blame police, I just didn't want them to hurt him. Just arrest him and make him pay for whatever he did."
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office said Marquez has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant. Marquez will be booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie, Texas, where he will be formally charged and arraigned, ECSO said in its Saturday release.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.