Three bail-outs in 12 hours: Deputies chase fugitives near Pearsall

By Breyana Segura - Chief Staff Writer | May 5, 2023

Pearsall residents were on high alert Monday evening, May 1, after the first of three bailouts within 12 hours occurred in an east-side neighborhood.
Frio County deputies attempting to conduct a routine traffic stop on the driver of a Dodge Ram 1500 were led on a pursuit through several residential areas where children were playing outside.
According to a report on the case, the driver of the pickup disregarded a stop sign at the intersection of Trinity and Bryan streets shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. The driver failed to signal before turning onto Taft Street, then drove at a high rate of speed, disregarding all traffic signs until he stopped on Cedar Street.
“I turned off my lights due to a city policy and continued to follow the driver at a safe distance until they came to a stop,” the deputy said in her report.
Several individuals were seen fleeing on foot in an attempt to evade capture near the junior high school on Cedar Street, the report indicated. Homeowners notified law enforcement that seven undocumented immigrants were hiding in a backyard, according to police.
Border patrol agents arrived at the scene and took custody of the undocumented immigrants and the driver.
Four hours later, deputies attempted to effect a routine traffic stop on the IH-35 east access road near FM 3352, some eight miles north of Pearsall, when the driver and two passengers attempted to evade deputies.
According to a report filed at the sheriff’s office, the driver, later identified as Orlando Martinez, tried jumping a high fence when he was stopped by deputies who deployed a Taser.
Further investigation revealed Martinez and his two passengers, Saul Benitez and Elaine Reyes, were in the United States illegally. The trio was turned over to US Border Patrol agents.
At around 3:20 a.m., deputies attempted stopping a driver for a violation of the Texas Transportation Code when they were led on another high-speed chase. According to the deputies’ report, the driver of a GMC pickup failed to stop when ordered and led law enforcement on a five-mile chase before the occupants absconded into the brush.
Preliminary reports on the third case indicate as many as 20 undocumented immigrants fled the scene on foot. None had been caught as of press time Tuesday.
“This bail-out occurred because of a traffic violation,” Frio County Sheriff Mike Morse noted on Tuesday in a prepared statement. “It was unknown at the time that the vehicle was being used in a human smuggling operation. Once the vehicle driver started to evade, the Frio County deputy disengaged, as per a policy of not pursuing inside city limits.
“What we are seeing is the criminal element involved in human smuggling constantly changing routes in order to bypass law enforcement,” the sheriff added. “Make no mistake; the criminal organizations profit from the border crisis. The Frio County Sheriff’s Office stands united with our law enforcement partners in order to deter this unlawful activity that affects all our citizens on some level.”