Midland police are searching for Victor Mata Villarreal after, they say, he fired at officers during a late-night traffic stop and then slipped away again. The shooting happened around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 4700 block of Comanche Drive, after a man first ran from a stop on Anetta and drove a block over before getting out and shooting at police.
Police identified Villarreal as the suspect and said he is wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer. His car was later found nearby with no one inside, deepening the search that followed the exchange of gunfire in a residential stretch of Midland. The Texas Rangers are now investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Neighbors said the gunfire cut through the night outside their homes and left them rattled. Doorbell camera footage from nearby houses captured the moment, with shots audible in the recordings. Alejandra Ortiz said the sound shook the walls of her whole house and felt, at first, as if someone was trying to force their way in. She said the night stayed chaotic, with police lights flashing and no clear explanation as the scene unfolded.
The case has left officers and residents with the same immediate problem: Villarreal has not been found. Police are telling anyone who sees him not to approach and to call Midland Crime Stoppers at 432-694-TIPS or the U.S. Marshals’ tip line at 1-800-WANTED2.
