12 Nov Man Arrested After Barricading Himself in Travel Trailer in Zapata County

Hector Baldomero Esquivel was arrested Nov. 7 after barricading himself in a travel trailer in Zapata County and now faces three felony counts and two misdemeanors, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office.

Esquivel was charged with three counts of terroristic threat against a peace officer, a state jail felony. He also faces Class A misdemeanor charges of false report to induce emergency response and resisting arrest. The charges are accusations, and Esquivel is presumed innocent unless a court finds him guilty.

The sheriff’s office said it was called to a report of a man who was acting erratically and unpredictably and had locked himself in the trailer. Citing concern for the man, the deputies and nearby residents, the office activated its Special Response Team.

Patrol deputies and team members worked alongside several other agencies, and the team took Esquivel into custody without further escalation, the office said.

Assisting were U.S. Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Zapata County Fire Department.

Sheriff Ramon E. Montes praised the work of the patrol deputies and the response team. “I am extremely proud of our deputies and SRT members for their dedication, courage, and commitment to protecting the citizens of Zapata County,” Montes said. He also thanked the agencies at every level that responded.

Montes said incidents like this one show how much specialized training, preparation and coordination among patrol, tactical and partner agencies matter.