Lubbock County inmate indicted on escape charge days after re-capture
A Lubbock County Grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday against a 36-year-old inmate accused of escaping custody while he was being returned to Lubbock County on a bench warrant from Upton County.
Benjamin Soliz, who was caught Thursday after reportedly being on the lam for more than seven hours, is charged with a count of escape while in custody, a third-degree felony and a state jail felony count of unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Third-degree felonies carry a punishment of two to 10 years in prison while state jail felonies carry a punishment of six months to two years in a state jail.
Court records show Soliz, who has been held at the Lubbock County Detention Center since Feb. 2 on charges of stalking and theft, was taken to Rankin in Upton County for a bench warrant and was being returned to Lubbock County by an Upton County Detention Center officer, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Inmate escape during transport
During the trip, about 2 p.m. Thursday Soliz reportedly asked the officer to pull over, saying he got sick from the food he had at the Upton County Jail.
The officer pulled over and let Soliz out to allow him to vomit.
The warrant states the officer told investigators he never saw any vomit come out of Soliz, but placed the prisoner back in his seat when he was done and saw that he was fully restrained, the affidavit states.
However, as the officer made his way back to the driver's seat, he heard his vehicle's door locks engage and saw Soliz sitting in the driver's seat. The affidavit does not state how Soliz switched seats without the officer noticing.
Soliz drove away from the scene and the jailer's vehicle was found wrecked and abandoned near the intersection of County Roads 2830 and 7700.
Meanwhile, deputies investigating a call about a utility task vehicle theft found security camera video that showed Soliz, who by then had discarded his jail clothes and was wearing a white t-shirt and white boxer shorts, steal the vehicle and drive away.
Lubbock County Sheriff's officials said Soliz was caught about 9:18 p.m. in the 6700 Block of Cedar Avenue in Lubbock.
Thomas Soliz, 34, was also arrested in the area and booked in to the Lubbock County Detention Center on charges of hindering apprehension or prosecution and outstanding traffic violations.
Both men remain remain in custody at the Lubbock County Jail.
Benjamin Soliz's bond is set at $300,000 for the escape charge, $10,000 for the stalking charge and $2,500 for the theft charge.
Thomas Soliz's bond is set at $75,000 for the hindering charge and $100,003 for an unrelated injury to a child charge, according to jail records. His case has not yet been presented to a grand jury, officials said.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County inmate indicted on escape charge days after re-capture
