Surveillance footage shows Oregon murder suspect Edi Villalobos, accused of slaying 33-year-old Artemio Guzman Olvera, fleeing from the courtroom at the Washington County Courthouse during the jury selection process on February 27, 2023.
The security footage, which began with two officers escorting a restrained Edi Villalobos into the courtroom, ended with Edi’s escape as soon as the officers removed his restraints after arriving inside the court.
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In the clip Villalobos, who is seen dressed in a blue shirt and black trousers, can be seen being taken into the courtroom shortly before an officer removes his shackles. The suspect is then seen taking a seat, while the officer is spotted talking to the other officer beside him.
The officer then moves to free the restraints on Edi’s legs and backs away from the suspect, who is still seated in a chair. Moments later, Villalobos whizzes past the courtroom doors while officers pursue him on foot.
The incident was captured by multiple cameras surrounding the courthouse and showed Villalobos running past a shocked woman before exiting the main entrance of the courthouse, with the officers running closely behind him.
Law enforcement officers launched a search for Edi Villalobos after his escape from the Oregan courthouse
As per multiple reports, Edi Villalobos successfully managed to evade the officers chasing him on foot in the courthouse. Following his escape, law enforcement began searching for the suspect using dogs and drones, and several officers were dispatched to track down his whereabouts.
Villalobos, who was caught a short while later, was reportedly found hiding under a blanket inside an empty apartment in a residential complex after a resident alerted the authorities about a man attempting to break into the house.
Villalobos is reportedly accused of killing 33-year-old Artemio Guzman-Olvera and critically stabbing a second man in 2021.
In a press conference, Washington County Sheriff’s Communications Sgt. Danny DiPietro commented on the incident and explained that according to Oregon State law, all accused persons to be should be unshackled while in front of a jury.
This is done so that the jury’s decision will be free from any bias that might otherwise stem from the optics of a suspect in restraints:
“Those were removed because of Oregon law. When someone’s in a trial, and any of the proceedings that go along with it, including jury selection, Oregon law requires us to remove those restraints, and we did that, obviously.”
DiPietro added that it is unclear if Edi Villalobos will be restrained during future court proceedings due to his escape attempt. He also noted that a decision will be made by the authorities overseeing the case:
“I imagine they’re going to push for the hearing to allow restraints to be on during his trial when it comes up. But that is for the courts, the DA’s office, and court security to go through that process.”
As per the New York Post, Villalobos, who was facing several charges, including second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon for the 2021 incident, will reportedly face additional charges for the escape attempt, including escape in the second-degree and a burglary charge.
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