DEPUTIES THWART ESCAPE PLOT OF CONVICTED FELON / BROTHER ARRESTED
3850 Justice Dr. El Paso, Texas 79938 
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Deputy Jesse Tovar / PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Direct: (915) 538-2119
Pager: (915) 533-0733 (#5370)
WWW.EPCSO.ORG
Release Date / Time: Friday, July 17, 2009 11:00 AM
SECTION: El Paso County Sheriff's Office – LOWER VALLEY PATROL DIVISION
EVENT: DEPUTIES THWART ESCAPE PLOT OF CONVICTED FELON / BROTHER ARRESTED
LOCATION OF OCCURRENCE: 1650 Horizon El Paso County , TX (Intermediate Sanction Facility)
DATE / TIME: Thursday, 07-16-09 10:23 PM
RESULT: Arrest Made / Investigation continues
El Paso County, Texas- Late Thursday night 07-16-2009 at approximately 10:23 PM, a Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the El Paso Transitional Center (formerly the Intermediate Sanction Facility (ISF) located at 1650 Horizon, El Paso County, TX in reference to pick up a wanted subject. the Deputy arrived a short time later and contact with a correctional officers at the facility. The Deputy then took custody of the inmate / wanted subject for a Parole Violation proceeded to escort him out of the facility. The wanted subject had a history violence & is was a confirmed MEXICAN MAFIA (EME) gang member. As they exited the facility, the Deputy observed a silver Chrysler 300 M stopped outside in the facility parking lot. The Deputy observed that the vehicle was occupied by several subjects & observed two unknown males outside of the vehicle, at which time the inmate began pulling away from the Deputy. The Deputy immediately sensing something was wrong, forcibly had to escort the inmate back into the facility & releasing him to the custody of correctional officers while he called for assistance.
The Sheriff’s Deputy with the assistance of correctional officers approached the vehicle when suddenly the two subjects standing outside the vehicle fled on foot into the desert. The Deputy approached the vehicle where 3 occupants remained inside (female driver, backseat female passenger, backseat male passenger). The male subject sitting in the back seat kept telling the female driver to drive off saying “just go”. The Sheriff’s Deputy ordered the female driver to turn off the vehicle & she complied as the male passenger continued to yell at her to drive away. All subjects were then ordered to put their hands up & exit the vehicle. The 2 female occupants exited the vehicle & were taken into custody. The male subject refused to exit the vehicle & had to forcibly be removed being extremely combative with the Sheriff’s Deputy & correctional officers. Assisting Deputies arrived moments later to help subdue the subject who continued to put up a struggle with Deputies. A search of the immediate desert area for the two male subjects that fled on foot commenced immediately.
Air support was requested to search for the fleeing subjects. United States Customs & Border Protection Air Support responded to the area & assisted authorities on the ground in searching for the suspects. Several shoe impressions were found & tracked in the desert area but were lost once entering the Sparks area. The intense search was called off a short time later.
Further investigation by Deputies revealed the backseat male passenger in custody was in fact brother of the inmate that was to be transported. The subject was identified as ARMANDO MARTINEZ (27) of the 1800 block of Andalucia El Paso, TX. MARTINEZ continued to be combative the entire time in custody spitting and threatening Deputies. MARTINEZ was also identified as a confirmed MEXICAN MAFIA (EME) gang member with an extensive violent criminal history with previous arrests such a ENGAGING IN ORGANIZED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY (2) & a MURDER conviction . MARTINEZ was arrested & charged with multiple offenses & remains incarcerated at the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility.
ARMANDO’S brother (inmate) was identified as ROLANDO RAMOS MARTINEZ (36) of Corpus Christi, Texas. ROLANDO is also a confirmed MEXICAN MAFIA (EME) gang member.
ARRESTED:
| ARMANDO MARTINEZ (27)
CHARGES:
INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC DUTIES- $2,500 BOND OBSTRUCTION / RETALIATION- $12,000 BOND RETALIATION- $12,000 BOND | ROLANDO RAMOS MARTINEZ (36)
ADDED CHARGES:
PAROLE VIOLATION –**NO BOND** |
MORE CHARGES / ARRESTS MAY BE PENDING
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
NO OTHER INFORMATION WILL BE RELEASED AT THIS
(NOTE: INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED / SHOWN ABOVE ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW)
END OF NEWS RELEASE
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.