A 22-year-old man who police say shot at officers on New Year's Eve was arrested Friday, Jan. 2, peacefully after a 48-hour manhunt in Premont.
Damian Rodriguez was taken into custody at a home on North East 5th Street, just blocks from the Premont Police Station. He had been on the run since New Year's Eve when police say he made social media threats against a Falfurrias police officer and fired at officers when they went to investigate.
"Today was the day we were finally able to combine the assets that we had requested and put in place," Premont Police Chief Ricardo Garcia said.
The arrest ended days of tension in the small South Texas community. Rodriguez was found at the home of Mathew Morales, who said Rodriguez is a friend of his wife.
"I really didn't know anything about it. I honestly didn't. I found out when I got pulled over in Fal. I was like why am I being detained? They were like we're after Damian and he's at your house. I explained to them yeah—he is," Morales said.
Morales wasn't home during the arrest, but his three children were inside the house when officers arrived - a 16-year-old and two 9-year-olds.
"All this was going on and I didn't know about it and I couldn't call. A lot of mixed emotions. I was really really worried about my boys," Morales said.
He said Rodriguez had planned to stay for a couple of days.
"I didn't see him when he showed up or when he got here. When I got here it was because I had gotten out of work and he was already here. And my wife said he was going to spend a couple of days. I was like okay," Morales said.
Morales' children told him Rodriguez told the children he intended to turn himself in.
Chief Garcia said the arrest was the result of careful planning and intelligence gathering. Officers prioritized safety during the operation.
"This is a person who has a history and shows a propensity for violence. So the last thing that we need is a shot to be fired," Garcia said.
Rodriguez faces charges of terroristic threat, deadly conduct and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer. Additional charges could follow as the investigation continues. As of 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 2, Rodriguez did not have a bond.
Police recovered a rifle from the home that they believe Rodriguez used in the New Year's Eve incident.
"We recovered a rifle where he was. Our intelligence places it as the weapon that he used. We recovered that weapon and we're also going to send it to the labs," Garcia said.
Rodriguez was transported to the Jim Wells County Jail. No other arrests have been made at this time.
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