An Oregon man accused of murder is going viral after footage posted to social media showed him fleeing police and escaping the courthouse.
Edi Villalobos, 28, who is charged with murdering 33-year-old Artemio Guzman-Olvera, fled the Washington County Courthouse on Feb. 27 during the pretrial jury selection, according to a report.
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Footage from security cameras shows Villalobos being escorted into a courtroom by two officers who placed him in a chair and removed his handcuffs and leg shackles in accordance with state law.
“Those were removed because of Oregon law,” Washington County Sheriff’s Communications Sgt. Danny DiPietro said.
“When someone’s in a trial, and any of the proceedings that goes along with it, including jury selection, Oregon law requires us to remove those restraints, and we did that, obviously.”
After the restraints were removed, Villalobos began his escape.
The suspected murderer rose up and ran for the backdoor, making his way through the first-floor halls before heading out a staff-only entrance.
For two hours, authorities hunted for Villalobos, and residents were sent a shelter-in-place message.
Drones, K-9 units, and two local police departments were dispatched, and two close encounters resulted in foot chases before Villalobos was discovered in an empty apartment under a blanket, according to the report.
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Villalobos is accused of stabbing Guzman-Olvera to death on April 10, 2021, the report noted, as well as at least one other stabbing that day.
Among the anticipated charges relating to his escape, he is facing second-degree murder and unlawful use of weapon charges.
