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MPD arrests probationary police officer for hindering apprehension

Probationary officer Jake Salas is alleged to have given information to a suspect who police were looking to arrest.

MIDLAND, Texas — The Midland Police Department arrested a probationary police officer on Monday, according to a department spokesperson.

At 4 p.m., officers arrested probationary officer Jake Salas for hindering apprehension. 

Jake Salas is alleged to have given information to a suspect who police were looking to arrest. That information helped the suspect avoid being arrested.

According to an arrest affidavit for Salas, a woman who has not been identified told an MPD officer she knew where a wanted fugitive was and would help officers catch him.

During the effort to catch this man, the woman received a call from the officer she was working with. While she tried to pretend she was talking to her father, this was apparently unsuccessful and another woman, identified as his sister Iris Parrish, was in close enough proximity to tell it was a police officer the woman was talking to.

Parrish told the fugitive, identified in a separate arrest affidavit as Cristaphor Garcia-Aceves, that the police knew he was with the woman and that they were being followed.

The woman assisting MPD apparently became worried for her safety and disconnected from the call with 911 dispatch and deleted her call history.

As they drove back to a residence, Garcia-Aceves received another phone call from Parrish. The woman sitting next to him said she also heard a male voice on this call, who was later identified as Jake Salas.

According to the woman, Salas told Parrish that MPD knew where Garcia-Aceves was and what vehicle they were in, and that they needed to hide. Parrish then repeated this to the fugitive over the phone.

The affidavit also says Garcia-Aceves implied that it was handy to have Salas as an officer and that he knew Salas would be on duty that night.

After arriving at the residence, officers knocked on the door. While Garcia-Aceves reportedly considered fleeing, he decided to surrender and let officers arrest him.

According to Garcia-Aceves' arrest affidavits however, before surrendering he found out the woman he was with had been talking to police and had threatened to harm her, even going so far as to attempt to cover her mouth to prevent her from telling officers his location.

Garcia-Aceves was arrested and charged with assault by threat or contact, obstruction or retaliation, evading arrest or detention, and evading arrest or detention in a vehicle.

According to the affidavits, Garcia-Aceves was initially wanted on the evasion charges after he was pulled over by an officer and attempted to flee. While fleeing, he wrecked his car and began running on foot, where police lost him.

While being interviewed following his arrest, Garcia-Aceves denied any contact with Jake Salas, in contrast with what the other woman had told police.

He did however turn over his phone to be searched, and MPD found a call history with Parrish on the cell phone.

Following this incident, officers sat down for an interview with Salas, who admitted to police that he told his wife, Beatrice Salas, that police were searching for her brother.

Jake Salas had access to the radio dispatch that night, and called his wife multiple times throughout the night the attempt to capture Garcia-Aceves was ongoing.

Officers asked Salas to view his call history, which he agreed to, but when asked to search through his photos Salas denied them. It was later discovered Salas had taken a photo of an important paper involving Garcia-Aceves.

From search warrants, MPD was able to learn that Beatrice Salas had sent multiple messages to the fugitive and informed him that he should hide.

Based on the information obtained, MPD arrested Jake Salas and Beatrice Salas. Iris Parrish reportedly turned herself in later that same day.

All three have been charged with hindering apprehension.

We will continue to update this story as we receive more information.

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