Cat Helps Drug Dealer Escape Custody

Drug Dealer Has Unwitting Cat Accomplice in Getaway

Diego Martinez-Espinoza, from Virginia, is a drug dealer who was accused of making and selling more than 40 pounds of cocaine. He also happened to be an illegal immigrant who had ties outside of the country. This last fact becomes important later, so bear with us.

House Arrest For Drug Dealer

Martinez-Espinoza was caught and arrested on drug charges. Most of the time, that would be the end of the story. The bad guy would go to jail, go through a trial, and probably spend some quality time in prison. However, this particular drug dealer happened to be released on house arrest. As long as he wore his monitor and stayed in his house, he would be fine. The authorities would know where he is, and he wouldn’t be able to flee.

During his time under house arrest, he tampered with the device and tried to remove it on several occasions. The device was also malfunctioning when he first got it, or at least that’s what he claimed. They replaced the device, but there were more issues. That is why the authorities did not seem to feel that he needed to be back in jail while he was awaiting trial. In fact, when the monitor ran out of power, they didn’t even bother to check in on him themselves.

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

Instead, they had his landlord go to his place to see how he was. Of course, when the landlord arrived, he didn’t find Martinez-Espinoza. Instead, he found the man’s cat. The cat happened to be wearing the monitoring device around his neck like a collar.

They are not entirely sure just how long he was missing and how long the cat had been wearing the device. Now, they feel that he has already fled the country, and it is highly unlikely that they will find him.

How Did He Get Bail?

As an illegal immigrant, it would normally be difficult to get bail while awaiting trial in VA. They usually do not offer bail unless there is an argument from an attorney or from the defendant and evidence that proves the defendant will be there come the day of the trial. The judge in this case decided to grant the bail. Chances are the judge is regretting it.

While the smart money says that Martinez-Espinoza is no longer in the country, if they were to apprehend him again, he would also be charged with failing to appear. It is likely that he would also receive some type of tampering charge for removing the device that was placed there by the courts.

Don’t Put the Tracking Device on the Cat

While there is certainly an element of humor in this case, it is important to remember that a criminal escaped justice. Most of the time, the monitoring devices that are put onto criminals who are under house arrest work very well. However, all technology is fallible, and criminals are surely looking for ways to get around these devices.

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