Paul Rodriguez : One Arrest After Multi-County Chase Ends in Milam County

MILAM COUNTY, Texas (KBTX) – A suspect has been apprehended following a cross-county pursuit that culminated in Milam County over the weekend.

The chase was initiated in response to a reported kidnapping incident originating in Temple, Texas. Authorities from both Temple Police and the Milam County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the pursuit as the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Paul Rodriguez, allegedly had a female and a baby in his vehicle.

The Milam County Sheriff’s Office has reported that the pursuit commenced in Temple, traversed through Rogers, Buckholts, and concluded on the outskirts of Cameron.

According to Temple Police, a female caller claimed that she was coerced to drive around with Rodriguez, who allegedly had a firearm in his possession.

The chase came to an end when Rodriguez drove into a field, breaching two fences and plunging into a stock pond before fleeing the scene, leaving the female and child behind in the vehicle.

Subsequently, the Milam County Sheriff’s Office deployed a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera to track down the suspect. Rodriguez was swiftly apprehended when he attempted to enter a residence.

John Helenberg, the Special Operations Lieutenant at Milam County Sheriff’s Office, stated, “We followed with the drone camera while the person jumped over a couple of fences. We worked to get units up close to where he was at. He ultimately went into a residential property where a house was sitting there. He went up to the front door, was banging on the front door when our units successfully arrived, and took him into custody.”

The sheriff’s office stated that Rodriguez was located within ten minutes of deploying the drone.

Following his apprehension, Rodriguez became unresponsive and received multiple doses of Narcan. He was then transported to Baylor Scott and White hospital for monitoring due to suspected drug ingestion.

Upon being cleared, the suspect was arrested on charges including evading arrest in a vehicle, child endangerment, and possession of illegal substances.

The female and her daughter were reported to be unharmed, and Temple Police confirmed that the victim was acquainted with the suspect.

Helenberg mentioned, “The victims inside the car reported to 9-1-1 that the car had to come to rest inside of water, so when we found them, the front end of the vehicle was in some type of water.”

The investigation received assistance from Temple Police, Milam County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Wardens.