Press Releases
At approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, San Angelo Public Safety Communications received a call in reference to the suspect vehicle from Friday’s hit and run crash with a bicyclist on Link road as possibly being in the Double Dave’s Pizza parking lot, 3536 Knickerbocker road.
Officers responded to the location and located a dark colored, 2014 Chevrolet two-door Camaro with the same unique stickers mention in the initial press release. The vehicle’s driver, Matias Escalante, 51, of San Angelo, was located inside the restaurant.
The Department’s Hit and Run Investigator, Steven Quade, responded to the location and spoke with Escalante about the crash and his involvement. The Camaro was processed for evidence at the scene and released.
This morning, Officer Quade obtained a warrant for Escalante’s arrest for the charge of Accident Involving Serious Bodily Injury, a third Degree Felony. The warrant, issued by Justice of the Peace Judge Eddie Howard, named Escalante as the driver who struck 49-year-old bicyclist Pedro Lozano Jr. in the 5400 block of Link Road on March 10, 2017, causing serious bodily injury. The complaint further stated Escalante left the scene without rendering reasonable assistance to Lozano even though Escalante had knowledge of the crash.
This afternoon, Escalante was located and arrested at his residence in the 3400 block of Arden Road and transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.
Lozano, who was transported to San Angelo Community Medical Center for treatment of incapacitating injuries after the crash, was released this morning.
The Department would like to thank the public for assisting us with sharing the information about this case, which ultimately led to the vehicle being located so quickly.
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At approximately 9:20 p.m., San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 4200 block of Sunset Drive for the report of a single vehicle accident with injuries where a vehicle overturned after it struck a utility pole.
Upon arrival, Officers located a white 2017 Hyundai Elantra overturned in the Blue Cross Blue Shield parking lot. The utility pole was severed in half, with its top portion only being suspended by wires that were connected to adjacent poles.
Responding Officers located the driver walking around, bleeding and suffering from apparent injuries sustained in the crash. When the initial responding Officer made contact with the driver, he refused medical treatment. When the Officer asked the driver for his license, the man advised he did not have one. When the Officer asked the driver for his name, the man advised he did not have one and began to curse and make incendiary comments towards the Officer.
Another Officer who was on scene observed the driver initiating confrontation with the Officer and responded to assist with gaining control of the man, who had quickly become combative. One Officer sustained minor injuries after being struck by the driver, who was later identified as Anthony Dominguez Rios, 22, of San Angelo.
Witnesses to the crash said Rios was traveling at a high rate of speed before the collision and that Rios was cursing and threatening bystanders who attempted to aid him after the crash.
Rios was transported to the Tom Green County Jail and charged with an outstanding Parole Violation Warrant and Assault on Public Servant. Rios was additionally charged with Failure to Sign Promise to Appear at the jail after he refused to sign citations for No Driver’s License and Fail to Control Speed.
AEP Officials were called to assess the damage and repair power outage to nearby businesses. REACT assisted with traffic control throughout the investigation.
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This afternoon, investigators with the San Angelo Police Department’s Street Crimes Division and Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division executed a Search and Arrest Warrant at a residence in the unit block of W. Avenue Q.
The warrant, issued by Justice of the Peace Fred Buck, named 37-year-old Monica Castillo to be in possession of methamphetamine. Castillo was located at the residence and taken into custody without incident.
During a search of the residence, Investigators located and seized a quantity of methamphetamine, items consistent with the trafficking of illegal narcotics, and approximately $1,700.00 in U.S. currency.
Castillo was transported to the Tom Green County Jail and charged with First Degree Felony Manufacture Delivery Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 >=200G<400G and an outstanding warrant.
The Department’s Patrol Division assisted the operation.
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A 28-year-old San Angelo man was arrested for failing to identify as a fugitive from justice Tuesday night during a suspicious person call in Angelo Heights, just north of the Santa Rita neighborhood.
Just before 6:40 p.m., Police were dispatched to the area of N. Jefferson and W. Harris Avenue for the report of a suspicious person running around the area and going into resident’s yards. The man was described as wearing all black with tattoos on his head.
Police responded and observed a man who matched the subject’s description walking in the middle of the street at Harris and Adams. When the man observed one Officer’s patrol unit, he quickly fled the area.
As the Officers continued their search, a citizen flagged them down and advised the man was concealing himself nearby between a house and a vehicle.
As Officers began a foot-search of the area, they were approached by another citizen who said he observed their activity and presumed it may be related to a suspicious subject that he just allowed inside his home after the subject asked to use his telephone.
When Officers entered the man’s home, they immediately observed a man wearing all black with tattoos on his head. The man initially failed to comply with the Officers’ orders but was eventually taken into custody without incident.
When Officers asked the subject what his name was he replied, “Brian Alkaseltzer”. Eventually, the man’s true identity was discovered to be Matthew Gerard Soto, who was wanted for an outstanding MTR Parole Warrant.
Soto was transported to the Tom Green County Jail where he was booked for his warrant and Failing to Identify Fugitive From Justice.
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San Angelo Police are searching for a hit and run driver who struck a cyclist in south San Angelo Friday night.
On the evening of March 10, 2017, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 5400 block of Link Road for the report of a hit and run crash involving a cyclist.
The victim, a 49-year-old San Angelo man, was transported to San Angelo Community Medical Center for treatment of incapacitating injuries.
A witness to the crash told Police the cyclist was traveling north in the 5400 block of Link Road when he was struck from behind by a black or dark colored, two-door, Chevrolet Camaro. The vehicle had a distinct red, white, and blue heart-shaped sticker on the back window as well as two yellow possible flag-type bumper stickers. The crash occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The force of the collision caused the vehicle’s passenger side mirror to break. The mirror indicates the Camaro is a 2010-2015 model.
If you recognize this vehicle or have any information about the vehicle or driver’s whereabouts, please call the Department’s Hit and Run Investigator, Officer Steve Quade, at (325) 657-4253. To remain anonymous, tip online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 , via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247.
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