Suspect back in custody after attempted escape
A man who allegedly stole a car in Santa Monica slipped through his hand-cuffs and fled from the courthouse Thursday before he was caught in the nearby high school campus.
Julio Valenzuela, 27, is a Los Angeles County Jail inmate but was being held in Santa Monica to appear for his first court hearing. He was arrested on June 4 by Santa Monica Police for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Spear.
At about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Valenzuela was being transported from “court lock-up” to the courthouse via an open area between the two buildings. While walking through the plaza, he detached himself from sheriff’s deputies and took off running.
Valenzuela ran through the courthouse’s security gate, across the east parking lot and Fourth Street. He then, for some unknown reason, entered Santa Monica High School’s track area, which is cordoned off by a tall chain link fence.
Deputies gave chase to Valenzuela on foot and apprehended him within minutes.
“It was the best recovery I’ve ever seen,” said an unidentified Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy.
“It was the best recovery I’ve ever seen.” — — LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY
Samohi is heavily guarded with security personnel at its entrances and exits so chances are Valenzuela would not have made it very far on campus.
High school principals were notified immediately that a jail escapee was heading for Samohi, which almost went into lock down mode.
“We were aware of the situation the entire time,” said schools superintendent John Deasy, adding this was the first inmate-related incident at the school, which is located directly next to the courthouse and jail.
Supervising Judge Alan Haber, who oversees the Santa Monica Courthouse, said escapes are very uncommon and the facility is secure.
Two police cars and a few sheriff’s deputies took Valenzuela back into custody at Samohi’s east entrance on Seventh Street, with about a dozen students looking on.
Valenzuela now is facing charges for escaping a county facility, a misdemeanor. He is being held on $45,000 bail in the Los Angeles County Jail.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, which handles courthouse security and provides bailiffs in the courtrooms, has released a report detailing security concerns they have with the city’s proposed plan to redevelop the area, which would include the county facility, City Hall and the local jail. The report has not been made public.
Sources familiar with the report said sheriff officers are concerned about a proposed Civic Center Drive and a public athletic field that would be located near where county prisoners are brought into and out of the courthouse everyday.
It’s during that time, when prisoners are being unloaded off the bus, that there is the highest chance for an attempted escape or an incident.
0 1 BCD 1 00050000000B00000002 0 1 BCD 0
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 8, 2002. Read the original PDF.