A body found Saturday in creek in west Arlington is believed to be a man who had been sought by Fort Worth police in the area on Jan. 24, a police spokesman Wednesday.
Gary Patron, 26, was identified by the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office, said Sgt. Christopher Cook, Arlington police spokesman.
A person called police at about 12:40 p.m. Saturday to report that the body was spotted in the creek near the intersection of Findlay and Westwood drives in far west Arlington, Cook said. The area is near Bob Findlay Linear Park.
Patron, Cook said, "is believed to have been a man being pursued by Fort Worth police officers in that area a couple of weeks ago."
Cook explained that on Jan. 24, Fort Worth police contacted officers in Arlington at about 11:40 a.m., seeking help in a vehicle pursuit that extended into west Arlington.
According to Fort Worth police records, a motorcycle officer had clocked a 2013 Dodge going 82 mph in a 60 mph in the 6200 block of Interstate 30, just east of the intersection with East Loop 820.
"At that point," the officer wrote in his report, "I believed the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Patron, to be possibly intoxicated and was in immediate danger to the surrounding public."
The pursuit continued into west Arlington. The area where the chase began is nearly seven miles west of where the body was found Saturday.
At some point, Patron got out of the car and "fled on foot in the area," Cook said.
Two Fort Worth women traveling with Patron, ages 24 and 25, were arrested; one for possession of a controlled substance, and the other for public intoxication, according to the Fort Worth police report.
But, after about an hour, Arlington police couldn’t find the man, so they called off the search, Cook said.
"It is believed this suspect jumped into the creek in an attempt to escape and possibly drowned," Cook said.
Cook said there were "no apparent signs of trauma to the body," but Arlington police would continue working with Fort Worth officers on the case.
-- Bill Miller
This was a family memeber of mine.. Rip mijo hope we find out what really happen to you... I LOVE U GARY PARTON
Posted by: melanie | February 18, 2013 at 11:43 AM
This was my nephew and it just wasn't a caller it was me his aunt and uncle that found him in the creek when the cops would do nothing to help us find him and how did they assume that he was possibly intoxicated and in immediate danger to the surrounding public if they didnt catch him. My nephew knew how to swim so there was no way he drowned...God will lead us to the truth one day...RIP mijo Your family never gave up looking for you and now your in a better place...love you Tia & Tio
Posted by: Amy Fierro | February 21, 2013 at 11:10 AM