Edi Villalobos: Surveillance video shows courtroom escape of Oregon murder suspect ahead of trial
WASHINGTON COUNTY, OREGON: An accused Oregon murderer escaped from the courthouse ahead of his trial. A newly released surveillance footage showed the 28-year-old suspect fleeing the place just moments after his legs and hands were unshackled.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office released the security camera footage on Thursday, March 9 showing Edi Villalobos' escape from the courtroom on February 27 during jury selection. On multiple felony charges, the accused murderer was set to face trial for second-degree murder charges in the fatal stabbing of Artemio Guzman-Olvera, 33, in 2021. Villalobos was also charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and unlawful use of weapon, reported Law and Crime.
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Why was Villalobos not shackled at the trial?
As per the press release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Villalobos was escorted to the courtroom by two deputies of the Court Security Unit who were assigned to stand by him throughout the trial. However, under Oregon law, while standing for trial in front of a jury or potential jurors, a defendant should not be restrained so as to avoid being unfairly prejudiced.
After an 11.00 am break, Villalobos was escorted to the courtroom with his hands shackled which were unshackled just before the potential jurors were coming back into the room. Within seconds, the murder suspect slowly pushed aside a chair and ran straight to the exit and the three-minute video showed the two deputies chasing him immediately. The footage then proceeds to show Villalobos running through the courthouse hallway to exit the place through a 'staff only' door. He then managed to get out of the building just seconds away from the deputies chasing him from behind.
Following his escape, a search using drones and canines was initiated by multiple law enforcement agencies including officers from Forest Grove Police Department and Hillsboro Police Department, and the Forest Grove Police Department.
A 'reverse 911 message' by authorities was sent to local residents to shelter in place until the suspect returned back to surrender. Over the two-hour manhunt, cops spotted him twice, however, he managed to get away from them.
Where is Villalobos now?
During the search, a community member called the deputies to inform them that an adult male was spotted underneath the caller's apartment in the 300 blocks of SE 4th where he is seen attempting to break into an apartment. Authorities were told by the apartment owner that the residential area should be empty as it was uninhabited.
The deputies then entered the apartment and found Villalobos inside a closet where he hid underneath a blanket. The deputies then took him into custody and were shifted to the Washington County Jail. Villalobos was then indicted by a grand jury on the same day in the afternoon. According to the press release, he was charged with one count of second-degree escape and two additional counts of first-degree burglary. His trial for the murder which was set to start the same week of his escape was then canceled. The trial has been rescheduled for the end of September 2023.