UPDATE: Video footage from the Wal-Mart parking lot where Alberto Morales escaped police custody shows him running uninhibited by handcuffs or shackles of any kind. Authorities previously believed that he was still restrained.
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An unlikely scenario led to Alberto Morales escaping police custody on Monday evening, and the tale only gets more improbable from there.
Morales, a 42-year-old male of Cuban descent, committed armed burglary and sexual assault in Miami and was on his way to a Nevada prison to serve a 10-year sentence for sexual battery.
Morales reportedly caused so much trouble on a commercial flight from Miami, that he was not allowed onboard the plane after a layover in Houston.
Instead, two Miami-Dade police officers planned to drive Morales to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. But when the group stopped at a Wal-Mart in Grapevine to use the restroom, Morales was left alone in the car with officer Jamie Pardinas.
Improbably, Morales, who was shackled by the arms, stabbed Pardinas with a broken piece of his eyeglasses and escaped police custody. Although he's in serious condition, Pardinas is expected to recover from the attack.
Meanwhile, Morales has been on the lam for more than 36 hours. Area schools have been on alert since Tuesday morning, but there hasn't been a Morales sighting since his initial escape on Monday evening.
Since they haven't found any shackles, authorities believe Morales is still restrained, which would theoretically limit his ability to cover much ground. Nevertheless, the search for Morales has been extended across Texas and rumors are circulating that he may attempt to flee to Mexico.
Alberto Morales, 42, escaped police custody on Monday evening in Grapevine.
