Tuesday a Lubbock County inmate who was mistakenly released from jail last week, told EverythingLubbock.com his side of the story.
On June 21st Ernest Ray Zavala, 32, was mistakenly let out of the Lubbock County Detention Center.
He said he had been in talks with his lawyer to shorten his sentence, so when he was told about the release he said he just thought he was getting out early.
Zavala claims jail officials finger-printed him twice, and then he walked out the front door.
He said he returned to his home on the 3800 block of East 3rd street. He said he stepped out of his home when he got a call Friday from his cousin who said the ‘feds were raiding his house.’
Zavala said he got ‘scared’ and admitted that he got out of Lubbock. He said he went to Hobbs, NM to visit his soon-to-be ex-wife and his children.
Sunday U.S. Marshals apprehended Zavala in Hobbs.
Monday afternoon the U.S. Marshals service filed a criminal charge against Zavala’s girlfriend Maria Guadalupe Baltazar, 36, of Lubbock. Baltazar is accused of lying to federal investigators during their search for Zavala.
Zavala said he was upset that his family and girlfriend were dragged into the trouble. He said his girlfriend was in Las Vegas and he talked about going to visit her, but never actually went.
Zavala’s claim of not going to Las Vegas contradicts the criminal charge against Baltazar.
Sheriff Kelly Rowe told EverythingLubbock.com over the phone Tuesday that there is “no question a mistake was made.” But he said his office was not involved with the investigation into Baltazar or involved with the U.S. Marshals investigation into where Zavala had been since his release.
Rowe said his department is conducting an internal investigation, and he would not make any comments until the investigation is complete. He said he expects that to be done on Wednesday.
Rowe released this statement Friday night:
On June 23, 2015 the Lubbock Sheriff Office erroneously released Ernest Ray Zavala from the Lubbock County Detention Center.
That error was discovered around noon today, June 26, 2015. We immediately launched a preliminary investigation to determine the problem that resulted in the release and began a full scale recovery effort.
We will conduct a further investigation at the appropriate time however at this time our full efforts are concentrated on the recovery of the fugitive.
Zavala has a lengthy rap sheet with charges going back to 2000. He has been charged with assault, burglary of a habilitation, possession of marijuana, evading arrest and violation of a protective order.
Zavala said he had been in jail for 10 months when he was let out early. Zavala said now that he is back he is in a cell by himself and not allowed to fraternize with the general population.
