A member of the Mexican Mafia is in police custody after an eventful arrest Tuesday afternoon.
According to reports, Joseph Garcia was reporting to the Probation Pretrial Services near downtown when officials discovered he had an arrest warrant for felony possession of a firearm. Deputies arrived to arrest Garcia, but the 39-year-old walked out of the facility.
One of the deputies tried to apprehend Garcia, at which point the suspect punched the officer twice in the face and ran off, Sheriff Javier Salazar told KSAT.
The deputy reportedly followed Garcia on a roughly mile-long chase before the suspect hid in a drainage tunnel under a bridge. Authorities were able to track him down with the assistance of a K-9 unit that sniffed him out.
Garcia was later treated for an asthma attack and twisted ankle.
"That just goes to show [that if] you play silly games, you're gonna win silly prizes," Salazar told reporters. "I think that was a small price to pay."
In addition to the charge he had the warrant for, Garcia now faces charges of aggravated assault of a peace officer and evading arrest.
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Mexican Mafia Member Reportedly Punched Bexar County Deputy, Fled on Foot Before Hiding in Drainage Ditch
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