A man suspected of shooting a San Antonio police officer Sunday was arrested Tuesday morning at a motel in Baton Rouge, La., authorities said.
“It was fairly quick and without incident,” Police Chief William McManus said of the 11:15 a.m. capture.
Rafael Gonzalez Sanchez, 40, faces an attempted capital murder charge. Police say he shot at an officer who was searching for him after police received reports that Sanchez had threatened to kill his wife and himself.
Officer Leroy Diaz's leg was grazed by a bullet as the two exchanged fire in the 15000 block of Beavers Run.
Sanchez's gold Ford Focus was found abandoned that afternoon at a North Side parking lot five miles from the scene of the shooting, and police had suspected he was still in the area.
“We're glad he's off the streets,” McManus said. “He certainly was a danger to the officer and certainly a danger to the public.”
On Monday, San Antonio police said Sanchez's wife, 39, had been located.
But she was detained with her husband on Tuesday after her dark gray Ford Expedition was found parked at The Shades Motel in Baton Rouge, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Bobby Hogeland said.
“The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force developed information ... that Sanchez may have fled Texas en route to Louisiana,” he said. “And we were able to track him down.”
Sanchez was in possession of a handgun when arrested as the pair exited a motel room, Hogeland said. His wife “was there voluntarily” and could face charges of helping a fugitive, he said.
The arrest came “extremely quickly” after the shooting, Hogeland said, crediting a strong working relationship among law enforcement agencies.
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