Police: Man escapes on trip to jail

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Sunset Valley police arrested a man nearly seven hours after they said he escaped while being transported to jail early Wednesday morning.

Travis County Sheriff's Capt. Art Cardenas said police arrested Todd Zurovetz, 22, around 8:25 a.m. Wednesday after he managed to escape around 1:45 a.m. near MoPac and Loop 360 while he was being taken to jail, even after authorities tried to use a Taser on him.

Authorities said they arrested Zurovetz on a warrant for burglary of a vehicle in the 7600 block of Summervale Drive in southwestern Travis County and were in the process of taking him to jail when the incident happened.

Officials said a backseat camera used to monitor Zurovetz from the front of the police car showed him in the video slipping his handcuffs from the back of his body to the front. He had also reportedly undone his seatbelt, which officials had strapped on to secure him during the ride.

The sheriff's deputy said the camera showed Zurovetz pulling the bars on the separation window between him and the deputy. Authorities said he spun around and put his feet on the back windshield in an effort to kick it out.

That's when the arresting officer pulled the patrol vehicle over near the intersection of South MoPac and Loop 360, calling for backup from nearby officers to help get Zurovetz back under control. Zurovetz reportedly continued to act out during that time.

Another Travis County Sheriff's Office deputy and a Sunset Valley officer responded to the scene, where they said Zurovetz broke free from them all and fled toward the Greenbelt - still handcuffed.

The officers chased Zurovetz and even deployed a Taser to try and stop him. Though authorities said the Taser was intended for Zurovetz's torso, it instead struck another officer in the middle finger.

When authorities lost Zurovetz, they called on the Austin Police Department K9 Unit and Air One, Travis County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit and both the Westlake and Sunset Valley police departments.

An extensive search of the area yielded nothing, but authorities later arrested Zurovetz in the 1800 block of Fort View Road , near Manchaca Road .

During the initial chase, a sheriff's deputy injured his back, and medical staff at a local hospital treated him.

In addition to the vehicle burglary warrant police originally arrested him for, Zurovetz is charged with escape from custody - causing bodily injury, a second-degree felony. Officials said he faces that charge due to the fact that a law enforcement officer sustained an injury while trying to recapture him.

Zurovetz is also charged with Class A misdemeanor of burglary of a vehicle.

Bond for the first charge is set at $7,500. Officials said once Zurovetz sees an arraignment judge, bond for the second charge will probably be set.