Saturday, April 21, 2012

Correctional Officer David Ekwejunor Charged with Evading Arrest

A 25-year-old Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer was charged with evading arrest with a motor vehicle Friday afternoon when he allegedly fled authorities after failing to stop for a school bus dropping off school children.

David Ekwejunor, 25, who listed a Dallas address, was arrested by Anderson County Precinct 2 Constable Doug Lightfoot around 3:30 p.m. Friday on U.S. 287, north of Palestine.

Ekwejunor, a correctional officer at the TDCJ’s Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, was charged with evading arrest/detention with a motor vehicle and a handful of other violations, including failing to stop for a school bus with lights flashing, according to Lightfoot.

Lightfoot was patrolling on U.S. 287 between FM 645 and FM 321 around 3:30 p.m. Friday when he observed a Saturn SUV traveling southbound on U.S. 287 fail to stop for a school bus which had its red lights flashing and was letting school children out in the northbound lane of traffic.

“I observed the violation and attempted to stop the driver,” Lightfoot told the Herald-Press.

The constable said he had his overhead lights activated and also utilized his vehicle’s siren, but the SUV’s driver ignored his attempts to get him to stop.

Lightfoot then notified the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office of the situation.

“They got three sheriff’s office units and two DPS (Texas Department of Public Safety) units to meet the vehicle,” Lightfoot said.

DPS Trooper Chad Sparkman placed “spike strips” across U.S. 287 in the immediate area of Lone Pine Baptist Church, the constable added.

“The driver did not stop at that time and proceeded through the spike strips,” Lightfoot said. “After he hit the spikes, his tires deflated almost immediately and he stopped.”

Ekwejunor, who was the vehicle’s lone occupant, was then arrested by Lightfoot and transported to the Anderson County Jail where he was booked into the facility.

No contraband was found in the suspect’s vehicle, according to the constable.

Officer Noe Yanez Arrested for Possession of Child Porn

A nine-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department has been arrested on suspicion of felony possession of child pornography after reportedly meeting a teenager while on patrol and soliciting explicit photographs of the youth through electronic messages, police said.

Noe Yanez, 40, was taken into custody Thursday evening by Long Beach police after an investigation that began earlier this month. The alleged victim had told a school resources officer about the messages and authorities were alerted. Detectives served several search warrants in the investigation of Yanez's home and other establishments for records of the communications.