Man wanted for ramming patrol car, nearly striking officer

AUSTIN, Texas - The US marshals are hunting for a man who police say rammed a patrol car and attempted strike an officer on I-35. As FOX 7 has learned, he has a record of assaulting officers that spans over a decade.

In November of 2016, the Pflugerville Police Department shared images with FOX 7 of a patrol car with damage to the front driver’s side door. The officer assigned to the patrol car says on the morning of the 3rd, he noticed a vehicle activate its hazard lights on I-35 near Yager Lane and pull to the side. The officer followed to see if he could be of any help.

When he approached the car, the officer says the driver, 44-year-old Onofre Urquia, abruptly began doing donuts across the lanes of the interstate. He says Urquia then headed straight for his patrol car--ramming the driver's side door. The officer took cover as he says Urquia repeated the actions before driving away going southbound in the northbound lanes.

Now, more than a year later, US marshals have been tapped to find him. "Anytime someone rams a police car and leaves that elevates it to fugitive number one for us,” said Supervisory Deputy Darren Sartin.

Back when the incident occurred, Urquia was arrested for attempted capital murder.

However, a month later, court documents show prosecutors did not appear in court and present evidence in an examining trial. The justice of the peace released Urquia citing the state's failure to prosecute.

While out of jail, Austin police arrested Urquia for trespassing. Officers said he told them he could kill them in 30 seconds and he already had a capital murder warrant.

Urquia was booked back into jail and released on bond for those charges on December 22nd, 2016. That was the last record of his activity.

"His propensity for violence, we need to find him and get him in custody,” said Sartin.

Urquia's last known residence was at an apartment complex located at 8912 North Lamar Boulevard. The marshals need your help narrowing down his current whereabouts.

"If the public were to see him, call 9-1-1. If they can take a picture of his vehicle, they'd do any kind of information that will help us if they see him at an address, if they know where he's working, they need to call 9-1-1 and we'll come and take him into custody,” said Sartin.