Tucson Sector Border Patrol is searching for a man who escaped from Banner University Medical Center Friday night.
He has been identified as 37-year-old Carlos Erazo-Velasquez from Honduras.
According to an agent, Erazo-Velasquez escaped from custody and fled Banner UMC Tucson during an evaluation.
He was arrested by agents for illegal entry near Nogales, AZ on Wednesday.
During the encounter, Border Patrol says he tried to evade arrest, assaulted an agent and fled on foot.
As he was fleeing, Erazo-Velasquez collapsed. Agents then rendered first aid and transported him to Banner UMC.
Erazo-Velasquez has a criminal history related to drug offenses and has been previously removed from the United States, according to Border Patrol.
Escaped #USBP suspect who assaulted agent ID. Still missing Call 911/748-3000 with tips pic.twitter.com/diWFsg9EHQ
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) March 4, 2017
He is facing charges of illegal entry and assault on a federal officer.
Erazo-Velasquez is described as 5'7" with black curly hair and weighs about 215 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a hospital gown and gray pants.
Border Patrol, Office of Air and Marine, Tucson Police Department and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department are currently assisting with the search.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 520-748-3000 with tips.
Tucson Police released the following statement on their involvement in the search on Friday night:
On March 3, 2017, at 5:11 p.m., the Tucson Police Department received a 911 call from a United Stated Border Patrol agent who advised a male escaped his custody at Banner University Medical Center located at 1501 N. Campbell Ave. USBP further advised that the male was in custody for being in the country illegally and for assaulting an agent during his initial detention. A male matching the description was seen in the area of 1st Ave. and Elm St. by a member of the public. TPD officers immediately responded to assist in locating the assault suspect as we would in all circumstances where a law enforcement agency makes such a request. A total of 17 officers, including 3 K-9 officers and the TPD Air Unit, aided in the effort. The male was not located during the more than two hour search. TPD officers determined, based on their experience of conducting thousands of urban area searches, that the subject was most likely not within the contained area and further searching was futile.
A couple of hours later, demonstrators showed up at the hospital where USBP had set up a command post. As a result of the demonstration, USBP requested to relocate to a TPD substation parking lot on Miracle Mile, approximately four miles from the location of their original command post. Given the time of night, busy call volume, and a lack of the staff necessary to manage a demonstration at the substation, we were unable to accommodate this request and asked USBP to relocate to their own facility, a distance that was not operationally detrimental to the search. Staff was unaware if in fact USBP had relocated to the substation prior to making their request.
The Tucson Police Department maintains professional working relationships with all of our law enforcement partners, both locally and at the federal level. Consistent with existing policy, we provide assistance as needed or requested and as our staffing allows based on the totality of the circumstances of the situation or incident.
