After an overnight manhunt in Hickory that saw numerous law enforcement from surrounding municipalities and counties lend their assistance, the Newton County Sheriff’s Department apprehended a murder suspect wanted in Alabama.
Miguel Angel Torres-Rodriguez was arrested on Friday, Sept. 5, at around 10 a.m. after stepping out of a wooded area off of Insterstate-20 in Hickory and peacefully surrendering.
Rodriguez is suspected of murdering his wife, Rocia Vega, in a domestic shooting at a home in Hueytown, Alabama on Thursday evening. According to reports, police had information that Rodriquez was in a red truck and heading west toward Mississippi, leading them to alert law enforcement to be on the lookout.
Newton County Chief Deputy Kris Hollingsworth said it was an off-duty paramedic who was aware of the BOLO that spotted the red truck headed westbound on Interstate 20 and followed him while alerting 911.
“The suspect realized he was being tailed by the time he got to Hickory, so he got off at mile marker 115 and stopped at Edwards Road and Highway 503,” said Hollingsworth. “When a couple of us got there, we held the vehicle, which had dark tinted windows. The guy following him didn’t see him get out, but once we got enough law enforcement there, we had realized that he had got out the vehicle.”
According to Hollingsworth, the suspect stayed in the same area all through the night, where law enforcement had him contained and sealed off. At 3:30 a.m. Friday, law enforcement slightly ‘pulled back their presence’, hoping the suspect would make a move.
After the suspect surfaced again at 6 a.m., authorities were getting ready to make a push after more state and local agencies with dog team were on the scene, when Rodriquez decided to surrender.
Rodriquez was taken into custody by the Newton County Sherrif’s Department, where he awaits extradition to Alabama.
Hollingsworth added that it was discovered that Rodriquez is in the United States illegally and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on him.
Sheriff Joedy Pennington expressed his thanks for all the agencies that helped in apprehending Rodriguez.
“I would like to thank the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries, Meridian Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division, Hickory Police Department, Decatur Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Department, and Meridian Police Department Special Operations for their hard work that helped take Mr. Rodriguez into custody,” Pennington said.
