A 26-year-old man faces new charges after briefly escaping custody at a La Mesa hospital, but was quickly located and arrested.
On March 29, San Diego police arrested Javier Pérez on various charges, including felony possession of a firearm and being a danger to children.
On Monday, April 4, Pérez was making an appearance at the El Cajón Courthouse when he suffered a medical emergency. He went by ambulance to Sharp Hospital for evaluation.
While in the hospital, Perez asked to use the bathroom just after 6:30 p.m. but suddenly ran out of the deputy guarding him. The officer ran after him, but Perez jumped out of a second-story parking lot and was able to exit the hospital grounds.
The sheriff's Astrea helicopter helped search for Perez. They located Pérez in a creek next to the streetcar tracks not far from Sharp Grossmont Hospital around 7:00 p.m.
Perez is now at UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest for treatment after complaining of pain. He now faces new charges related to his escape.
