Mustang thief still on run, West Odessa man dead

Apr. 15—Sheriff Mike Griffis said at 5:15 p.m. the suspect in the black Ford Mustang is no longer in Ector County and is now being chased on foot by law enforcement between Big Lake and Rankin.

A huge West Texas law contingent was seeking the man since about 11 a.m. with him leading officers on several high speed chases.

Griffis was on the scene in West Odessa where a 75-year-old Odessan man was killed this morning by the carjacker.

Griffis said earlier that reports indicated the man was shot but that now it appears he died after the carjacker likely ran over him.

Griffis also clarified that the carjacker, a white male, stole a car in Lea County in New Mexico and ended up in West Odessa where he asked a neighbor of the 75-year-old if he could use his phone and he was told no. He then asked the 75-year-old's wife and was told no and then got into a scuffle with the man. He stole the victim's car and ran over him.

Griffis said they don't know why the man ended up in Odessa or where he is from.

He said some reports of the man shooting at others have surfaced but as far as Griffis knows no one else was injured.

ECISD schools were on a brief "secure," which lasted about an hour Monday morning.

A secure means all students and staff are to remain indoors — no one enters or exits until the district receives addition word — while continuing to operate on a regular schedule inside the building.

There were no threats toward any ECISD schools; the secure was done as a precaution and was lifted, the release stated.

Odessan Jessica Natividad said she picked her 4-year-old son up from Lamar Early Education Center a little after noon.

He was supposed to go to daycare after school, but the daycare called her to say the school was in secure.

A couple of minutes later, she got a message to the same effect about ECISD.

Natividad went to get her son after she was told the bus wouldn't be coming to get him.

"I was glad they did. I feel much better now that I was able to see him. I gave him a big ol' hug when I saw him. Nowadays it's crazy. ... I'm just glad everyone's safe," she said.