SOMERVILLE (CBS) – Police and federal officers arrested a suspected gang member several hours after he escaped custody in Somerville.
Around 6 a.m. on Friday, Gabriel Castillo Perez ran from officers during a Homeland Security sweep on Linden Street.
Perez was handcuffed when he got away.
Somerville Police said the 18-year-old is a known MS-13 gang member who has previous charges of assault and carrying a dangerous weapon. He was not armed at the time of his escape.
During a Friday press conference, officials said Perez was wanted for deportation.
Police say that after Perez escaped custody, he ran to a former job and asked a friend to drive him to a relative’s home in Everett. That’s where Perez was arrested.
Though Perez was on the loose after escaping custody, police said there was no threat to the community.
Homeland Security was attempting to arrest Perez on immigration charges as a part of a larger federal sweep around the region.
During the sweep, a total of 56 gang leaders and members were targeted on various charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking.
Federal officials say the gangs recruited members at local high schools.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Bernice Corpuz reports
