Lubbock Sheriff's Office confirms escaped inmate is in law enforcement custody

An inmate was back in Lubbock County custody late Thursday after allegedly stealing an Upton County Sheriff's Office vehicle earlier in the day and evading capture for several hours.

The suspect was identified by the Texas Department of Public Safety as Benjamin Soliz, 36, who was believed to have been in the Slaton area heading toward Lubbock for a time. LSO said Soliz was taken into custody around 9:18 p.m. in the 6700 block of Cedar Avenue in Lubbock.

According to DPS, Soliz crashed the Upton County vehicle near County Road 7700 and 2830 and stole a Can-am — a four-seater vehicle with a white spray tank attached to it.

Lubbock County Detention Center records show Soliz was initially arrested in February and faces charges including unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, theft and stalking. According to LSO, Soliz was being transported to Lubbock on those pending charges when he escaped.

Due to the incident, Slaton ISD announced just after 4 p.m. Thursday that buses would not run as the search continued, and parents and guardians would have to pick up students in person.

No additional details about the incident have been released at this time.