Guatemalan man captured after deputy's death prompts manhunt

Deputy Eric Oliver killed in foot pursuit of Francisco Portillo-Fuentes

YULEE, Fla. – A Guatemalan man was captured in Jacksonville Tuesday night, nearly 12 hours after he fled a Yulee gas station and a Nassau County deputy was killed pursuing him, Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said. 

Francisco Obbidio Portillo-Fuentes was taken into custody about 7:45 p.m. at Atlantic Self Storage on Powers Avenue following a manhunt involving the U.S. Marshal's Office, Nassau County Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Florida Highway Patrol, according to Leeper.

Portillo-Fuentes, 25, had been deported from the United States on two separate occasions, Leeper said. He is being held by Border Control on felony re-entry into the country. According to a division chief from the U.S. border patrol, Portillo-Fuentes is expected to appear in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

"It's very unfortunate, but certainly we're glad that at least we found the individual," Leeper said.

Nassau County Deputy Eric Oliver died after he was hit by an SUV while chasing the man across State Road 200 about 7:30 a.m. 

RELATED: Nassau County deputy killed in chase described as 'hero'

"The grief and pain that our officers and employees feel from losing someone that they know and that they care about, who has dedicated his young life to his community, that's going to continue," Leeper said.

According to Todd Bryant, division chief for the U.S. Border Patrol's Miami Sector, at least three of six men in a pickup truck located at a Gate gas station in Yulee were foreign nationals not authorized to be in the United States. As agents were placing the men under arrest and putting them in the Border Patrol vehicle, one man ran.

While a federal agent tried to aid Oliver, two of the men being questioned got back into the pickup and they drove off. The vehicle was stopped and the driver and passenger was arrested. None of the men detained by Border Patrol were named, but three are from Mexico, one from Costa Rica and one from Guatemala.

According to Leeper, the men were living in Jacksonville and working as roofers in Nassau County. Federal officials said the five in custody will not face local charges, but will be deported.

Leeper said the search for the Portillo-Fuentes was focused on the North Hampton area, just south of where the deputy was killed. People in the area were urged to call authorities if they saw anything suspicious.

Resident Al Furber is one who called 911.

"A person that I've never seen in my neighborhood before, going on my street, walking fast, looking around," resident Al Furber said of the man he saw. "It looked like he was trying to see if anybody was following him."

His call prompted a search of the immediate area, but the man was not found. That gave people in the neighborhood cause for concern.

"We definitely locked all of our doors and I don't think people should be out ... because you don't know how desperate these folks might be," Furber said.

Later in the day, police surrounded another area where there was a report of a suspicious person, but that did not turn out to be the man they were looking for.

Early Impressions Development Day Care was on lockdown part of the morning as authorities searched the area.


About the Authors:

Jim Piggott is the reporter to count on when it comes to city government and how it will affect the community.

Scott is a multi-Emmy Award Winning Anchor and Reporter, who also hosts the “Going Ringside With The Local Station” Podcast. Scott has been a journalist for 25 years, covering stories including six presidential elections, multiple space shuttle launches and dozens of high-profile murder trials.