Swamp Thing

On May 25, a loss-prevention agent at the Marshall’s store on Marron Road confronted a 41-year-old Hispanic male suspect after he clipped security sensors with wire cutters and concealed merchandise on his person.

According to police, the agent was pushed by the suspect and threatened with a rock that the suspect had grabbed while running into nearby heavy vegetation. Police responded with a search by air and canines, which lasted an hour but was unsuccessful.

“It’s a drainage ditch that runs south of Highway 78,” said Lt. Paul Mendes of the Carlsbad Police Department. “It’s very thick, and there’s a good amount of standing water where you could submerge yourself completely.”

But the suspect couldn’t exactly hide the muck, and a mechanic working nearby reported to authorities that a suspicious person came out of the creek, covered with leaves and wet clothing, according to police. He then entered a vehicle that was being driven by his wife, but police stopped the vehicle as it left the area.

The suspect was booked into the Vista facility for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, and his wife was cited for driving without a license or insurance. She was then sent to immigration officials for being in the U.S. illegally.