Stunning bodycam footage captured the moment a group of police officers dragged a migrant woman who had been stuffed in a duffel bag out of a burning vehicle.
According to multiple reports, the driver of the vehicle crashed his SUV into a barrier while trying to evade the police.
It was moments later after the vehicle burst into flame when the driver confessed to police that there was a woman trapped in a duffle bag in the burning car’s trunk, and they had only seconds to get her out.
David Padilla Jr., driver of the SUV and an accused human smuggler is said to have trapped the unnamed woman in a huge black duffel bag and placed her in the back seat of his Infiniti QX56, New York Post reported.
He later crashed his vehicle near Laredo, Texas, while fleeing from officers.
According to reports, on March 24, Padilla stopped at an immigration checkpoint only to have a K-9 alert officer that there was something amiss inside the vehicle.
Padilla knew he is about to get caught, so he immediately fled from the checkpoint, prompting officers to give chase and eventually deploy strike strips, stopping Padilla’s vehicle, which crashed into a barrier on the interstate and caught fire.
He attempted to flee on foot, but officers were able to apprehend him and take him into custody without incident.
At the time, he said to officers, “She is in the back. Get her out of there. Did they get her out?”
Bodycam footage captured the moment officers rushed to free the woman from her fiery tomb and pull out the duffel bag as the car became engulfed in smoke and fire. The officers then unzipped the bag and helped the woman to her feet.
MUST WATCH: @TxDPS assisted #USBP with a vehicle pursuit that ended with the vehicle crashing & igniting on fire. The smuggler fled leaving behind a female immigrant trapped inside the vehicle. @TxDPSSouth Sgt Genaro Hinojosa sprung into action and broke the rear window. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/3qOMwoKrGw
— TxDPS – South Texas Region (@TxDPSSouth) March 31, 2022
Authorities arrested Padilla and charged him with transport, attempt to transport, and conspiring to transport the migrant woman.
In a statement on the incident, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety said, “Smugglers continue to expose those they are smuggling to dangerous and life-threatening conditions.”
Sources: Taphaps, New York Post, Independent