A northeast El Paso burglary call turned ugly in seconds last Thursday when a driver allegedly hit a police officer with a vehicle, sending the 7-month department veteran to the hospital with minor injuries. What started as a routine response ended with a suspect on the run and a multi-agency manhunt in motion, according to police.
Officers had been dispatched to a reported burglary of a habitation in progress on the 10900 block of Yogi Berra Cir. As they approached a vehicle tied to the call, 21-year-old Angelo Ramon Zuniga allegedly refused commands to shut off the engine and instead struck an officer with the car. The officer was taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries. Zuniga fled the scene but was later captured by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and now faces two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and a charge of evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, according to KFOX14/CBS4.
Task force tracks down accused hit-and-run driver
The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led, multi-agency unit that backs up local departments in tracking down wanted suspects across the Western District of Texas. State and local investigators on the task force are deputized to use U.S. Marshals authorities and operate across jurisdictional boundaries, giving agencies more reach when a suspect moves from one area to another. The U.S. Marshals Service says the task force pools federal, state, and local resources to find and arrest fugitives in the region, the kind of coordinated effort officials pointed to in this arrest, per the U.S. Marshals Service.
Felony-level charges and potential consequences
The charges Zuniga faces carry serious exposure under Texas law. Aggravated assault against a public servant can be elevated under Tex. Penal Code and, as outlined at Justia, may bring felony-level consequences depending on the circumstances. Evading arrest or detention with a vehicle is addressed by Tex. Penal Code provisions discussed at Justia and carries enhanced penalties when a vehicle is involved or when there is a prior evading conviction.
Zuniga remains in custody on the charges described by police. Court filings and a first appearance date were not yet available at the time of reporting, according to KFOX14/CBS4. Investigators have not released further information about the motive or whether they expect additional arrests.
