San Antonio — A massive, multi-agency manhunt was underway Friday for a suspect officials said was part of an armed robbery at a pawn shop Thursday night.
Federal officials said an arrest warrant has been issued for 22-year-old Martin Ramirez Hernandez, accusing him of one count of Robbery Affecting Interstate Commerce.
Investigators said Hernandez was able to slip through their net when they captured four of his associates during the overnight hours at a home in south-east San Antonio.
Investigators said five masked men armed with both rifles and handguns stormed into the west side business, breaking display cases, threatening employees and stealing about 30 firearms, several hundred pieces of jewelry and an undetermined amount of cash.
Four of those men have already been taken into custody. Daniel Ray Rodriguez, 40, Daniel Ray Rodriguez, Jr., 22, Xavier Noel Musquiz, 24, and Cesar Rodriguez, 36, have already been arrested and charged for the robbery that took place at the Cash America Pawn on West Military Drive.
A witness was able to give a good enough description of a getaway car that investigators were able to trace to a home at the corner of South New Braunfels Avenue and Monticello Court.
Believing Hernandez was still inside the home when they arrived, an SAPD SWAT team used loudspeakers convince Hernandez to surrender for hours. "Do the right thing. Walk to the front door with nothing in your hands," could be heard booming from speakers throughout the area.
With no response after several hours, and with night turning to day, SWAT officers decided to lob tear gas into the home.
Wearing masks and carefully coordinating with officers who had the home surrounded, SWAT officers fired round after round of tear gas, breaking almost all the windows in the house.
As acrid smoke poured into the neighborhood, people getting gasoline at an adjacent convenience store reached for cover, either using clothing to protect their faces, or scurrying from the area as quickly as possible.
After the gas, police said they went in the house and found no one inside, but they said they did not walk away empty-handed.
For several hours, investigators and evidence technicians, many of whom were wearing protective gear, hauled guns, cases, duffel bags and other property from the home.
The four men under arrest remain in federal custody with no word on when they will appear before a magistrate.
Officials urged anyone with information on the location of Hernandez to call San Antonio Police or 911.