Escaped Denver Inmate: Police Search Near Hospital

DENVER, CO -- Denver police are searching for an escaped inmate who slipped away while being taken to a hospital, police said on Twitter.

Mauricio Venzor-Gonzales, 23, was being held for attempted murder of a police officer after a shootout with police last year.

Monday morning, he was being taken by Denver sheriff's deputies to Denver Health Medical Center for a doctor's appointment when he escaped by hopping a fence at 6:30 a.m., Denver Sheriff Patrick Firman said.

“We consider this person, looking at his history should be considered very dangerous and possibly armed. We don’t want any citizens trying to approach him,” Denver Police Commander James Henning said.

Police surrounded the hospital Monday morning and were searching for Venzor-Gonzales.

Denver Fox TV31 reported that ICE had asked for notification from the sheriff's office if Vendor-Gonzales was going to be released.

Venzor-Gonzales is 5’7", 170 lbs, and was last seen wearing a dark green uniform with the letters CCMF. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts are asked to call Denver Police or Crimestoppers at 720-913-STOP.

In the evening, plainclothes detectives and police officers chased an SUV from Aurora to Denver, where two people were wounded after a shooting, police said. The people in the SUV were thought to be connected to Venzor-Gonzales, but he is still at large, police said.

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Image Mauricio Venzor via Denver Police