perps were wearing bullet proof vests

www.mysanantonio.com/news/crime/stories/MYSA122305.01A.Bank_Robbery.14b766d1.html

Bank robbery starts wild chase

Web Posted: 12/23/2005 12:00 AM CST
Vianna Davila
Express-News Staff Writer

Three armed bank robbers led authorities on a daring three-county chase that included a highway shootout with police Thursday morning, with bullets at times striking officer's vehicles and those of unsuspecting motorists.



Kin Man Hui/Express-News

The back window of a police cruiser was shot out during pursuit of three bank robbery suspects.



Mike Kane/Express-News

An officer stands next to an overturned vehicle that was involved in a high-speed chase after a bank robbery.





At its end, the chase spanned 50 miles, involved at least 40 law enforcement units and left behind a scene that looked more like a distressed Hollywood movie set than the reality of South Texas.

The pursuit — which began on the far Northwest Side near the University of Texas at San Antonio and wound its way south — ended when the pursued vehicle rolled over just south of Devine.

That incident caused a traffic backup and forced closure of part of southbound Interstate 35 into the nighttime hours.

The pursuit left a trail of destruction and confusion, which officials still were trying to retrace Thursday.

Weapons were fired from the pursued vehicle numerous times, sometimes striking law enforcement vehicles and other times hitting those of highway motorists, San Antonio Police Department Sgt. Gabe Trevino said.

Law enforcement officers at times returned fire.

One Department of Public Safety trooper was grazed on the head.

Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday.

Trevino said they'll face a multitude of felony charges, which could include attempted capital murder.

Packing semi-automatic weapons, wearing ski masks and bulletproof vests, three men walked into the San Antonio Federal Credit Union in the 6800 block of North Loop 1604 West about 10:30 a.m.

They demanded money and fled with an undisclosed amount in a white vehicle, the SAPD said.

Dispatchers then received a call about a vehicle on fire at an apartment complex on Chase Hill Boulevard, around the corner from the bank.

Officers, with the help of a police helicopter, located the men on the highway after they received information that the trio had set the white car on fire and switched it out for a maroon Chevrolet pickup, Trevino said.

The men shot at police and Bexar County sheriff's deputies who joined the chase at U.S. 90 and General McMullen, shattering the rear window of an officer's patrol vehicle and causing the car to crash, SAPD Sgt. Lloyd Jackel said. That officer cut himself on the glass but was OK, Trevino said.

The pickup continued along the highway, turning onto I-35 past South Park Mall. The gunfire never ceased, and Trevino said bullets were going "everywhere."

Dozens of SAPD patrol cars and two deputy vehicles were hit by the gunfire — one was struck at least five times — and some officers later were forced to change out their tires, which had been hit by bullets, Trevino said.

Investigators still were counting up the number of civilian vehicles caught in the crossfire, but no injuries resulted from the shootings, Trevino said.

The Los Angeles police pursuit of O.J. Simpson was what came to mind for Eva Cavazos, who was driving with her coworkers to lunch when the chase whizzed past her car on I-35.

"That police chase," Cavazos said, "that's what it looked like."

The bullets even struck buildings, shattering two glass art deco panels inside Anna's Linens on the southeast corner of South Park Mall. The store is more than 200 feet from the interstate.

"Everyone wanted to ring up early," right after the shooting outside the mall, said employee Cassie Maldonado.

DPS troopers joined the pursuit once the suspect vehicle left Bexar County, eventually racing into Medina County. SAPD and sheriff's deputies also continued the pursuit.

Just south of Devine near a truck weigh station one or more of the suspects opened fire again.

A bullet sliced through the driver's side window of a patrol car, driven by DPS Trooper George Correa Jr. 34. The bullet grazed him on the top of the head, and he pulled to the roadside without losing control, Senior DPS Trooper Travis Hall said.

The men finally were trapped when their maroon pickup overturned a few yards from the weigh station, just barely putting the crash inside Frio County.

The men still continued to fire at officers from all three agencies, an SAPD news release said. SAPD Officer Robert Carter, a 24-year veteran, fired several rounds at the men. Investigators were unsure if one of those bullets struck suspect Michael Hurtado in the eye, but Carter was put on administrative duty pending an investigation.

The three suspects all were apprehended by 11:30 a.m., Hall said.

Correa, a four-year DPS trooper and K-9 handler based in Pearsall, was airlifted to University Hospital. He was in good condition, Hall said.

Michael Hurtado's wound was non-life-threatening, Hall said.

All three men shared the same address on the South Side, in the 700 block of Brunswick.

Michael Hurtado was awaiting trial on a marijuana possession charge in Bexar County. Liborio Hurtado's only charge in the county as an adult was a conviction and $500 fine for public intoxication. Contreras has no previous charges, according to Bexar County records.

"I'm just surprised that more people didn't get hurt," said Cavazos, who returned to work after the ordeal. "I want to go home already. This has been enough excitement for this year," she said.

Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday.

Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp

"I can see his head- SHOOT HIM IN THE HEAD!!!"

good to see that no civvies or LEOs were seriously injured, but it'd be a better story if the robbers were DRT

illegals?  drug runners? or both? either they have been doing this for a while to afford that kind of equipment or somebody is backing them. mexicans are not usually high minded criminals with well thought out plans.......(except drug lords/cartells)

Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp

Yep.

Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp

WHY!!!  Why are they not on a slab in the morgue?  Perfectly justified shooting . . .

Sounds like they watched Heat to many times.

Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday.

No..........I'll save my "culture" comments.............

by utsa?  i drove through there right around 11:30am, heading towards I-35 and didn't see anything unuasual.  i guess it happened right before i left the house.

Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp

Exactly.

The body armor thing is another reason I have been practicing making head shots.

Quoted: Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp Exactly. The body armor thing is another reason I have been practicing making head shots.

It's the prime reason I carry an AR on patrol AND practice headshots.

I bet someone a team membership that they were non-citizens

Migrant workers and they thought the money needed pickin'?  You know, to make a better life....

Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday.

But, but, but...they just want to come here and work the jobs that Americans don't want.

Almost makes me homesick.  

Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. But, but, but...they just want to come here and work the jobs that Americans don't want.

Exactly, Americans don't want to rob banks, hey, someone has to do it.

Quoted: Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. Too bad they aren't in the locker assuming room temp Exactly. The body armor thing is another reason I have been practicing making head shots.

It's a reason that I ALWAYS carry a rifle in the back of the vehical

Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. But, but, but...they just want to come here and work the jobs that Americans don't want.

They work the BANK JOBS that Amerikans won't!

Quoted: Quoted: Armando Contreras, 24, and brothers Michael Hurtado, 23, and Liborio Hurtado, 24, all were in custody Thursday. But, but, but...they just want to come here and work the jobs that Americans don't want. They work the BANK JOBS that Amerikans won't!

Outstanding!  Well played!

Any one that flees from Police are open season.
Too many times this happens and innocent people get killed or injured.
Police choppers should sparrows installed on them.
F*ck these dirtbags.

Earlier this evening, a local TV news broadcast (KSAT-12) reported that SKS rifles were among the weapons used, one of which had been "converted to automatic operation".

Last night, one of the officers interviewed on TV also mentioned "automatic weapons".

That just blows, that kind of thing happen in TX frequently?

Time for a 5.7?????