HILLSBORO, Ore. — Surveillance video has been released showing a man fleeing from an Oregon courthouse last month ahead of his murder trial.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office released the Feb. 27 video showing Edi Villalobos, 28, making a run for it. He was facing trial involving the stabbing of two people in 2021 in which one person was killed, KOIN-TV reported.
KOIN reports that jury selection was taking place on the day of Villalobos’ attempted escape. The jury was out of the room on a break, and Villalobos had just been taken to the bathroom.
When he returned, deputies — by law — removed his restraints.
The video released Thursday shows Villalobos being escorted back to the courtroom. Once inside, his restraints are removed.
A moment later, he makes a motion indicating he may be about to sit down at the defense table. Instead, he runs toward out the courtroom door. Two officers run after him.
Several surveillance cameras show Villalobos running through the courthouse, closing doors behind him. He eventually runs out of an outside door.
Law enforcement officers spent the next two hours searching for Villalobos in downtown Hillsboro, using drones and dogs, and people were asked to stay inside.
Deputies arrested Villalobos after someone in an apartment building reported that a person was trying to get into a nearby apartment. Deputies entered the apartment and found him hiding in a closet underneath a blanket, according to the sheriff’s office. He was taken into custody and back to the jail without incident.
“What took place here and evaluation [of the] the actual circumstances in this incident — it could change things,” Washington County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Danny DiPietro told KOIN. “We’re always looking to do better, we can look back at this.”
Villalobos was indicted on additional burglary and escape charges. His murder trial has been moved to September.
