Man Slips Handcuffs and Escapes From Officers

Sheriff’s deputies were searching for a 22-year-old Ventura man who freed himself from handcuffs and escaped out of an interview room at the department’s Government Center headquarters early Saturday.

Raymond Anthony Perez was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Friday in a parking lot off Daily Drive in Camarillo on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance, possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia and giving false information to an officer, police said.

Perez and two other people in the parking lot were taken to Sheriff’s Department headquarters on Victoria Avenue, Sgt. Will Howe said.

Perez was handcuffed by one arm to an interview room table and then left by himself as he waited to be questioned. About 1:40 a.m., he got loose and fled, Howe said.

A few minutes passed before deputies noticed he was gone.

“He slipped the cuffs--we don’t know exactly how,” Howe said. He added that the handcuffs were being examined to determine if Perez somehow pulled out of them or picked the lock.

Police were searching the homes of Perez’s friends in Ventura and said they had strong leads on his whereabouts. He has been arrested numerous times on suspicion of such crimes as burglary and weapon possession, Howe said.

Perez was described as about 5 feet 10, 140 pounds, with brown hair, a crew cut and hazel eyes. He has numerous tattoos, police said.

Police said Justin Rice, 20, of Ventura, and Melissa Hillman, 19, of Port Hueneme, were arrested along with Perez.

Rice was being held at Ventura County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property, giving false information to a peace officer and violating a probation warrant. Bail was $20,000.

Hillman was arrested on suspicion of obtaining a cellular telephone by fraud and being under the influence of a controlled substance. She was released by authorities Saturday.