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Search For Escapee Continues After Shooting, Crash

DENVER (CBS4)- The search for an escaped inmate continued into its second day after a shooting, chase and crash.

Mauricio Venzor-Gonzales escaped from Denver Health Medical Center on Monday. He was brought to the hospital for treatment but managed to escape from deputies.

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A perimeter was set up in the neighborhood surrounding Denver Health but officers did not locate him.

Mauricio Venzor
Mauricio Venzor-Gonzales (credit: Denver Police)

Just after 7 p.m. Monday, police tracked down a vehicle connected to Venzor-Gonzales at a home in Aurora.

"There was a vehicle that left that home at a high rate of speed. Officers believed it had a connection to our suspect and officers pursued," said Denver Police Sgt. John White.

Two people inside the GMC Yukon led officers on a high-speed chase from Aurora to Park Hill.

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The SUV crashed near 41st and Albion and were rushed to the hospital for injuries. One of the suspects died. The condition on the other suspect is described as non-life threatening.

Police confirm that shots were fired during the chase but cannot confirm if officers fired their weapons. No officers were injured.

"It was really scary hearing really loud shots. I thought it was a nail gun, but the sequence was just way too fast," said witness Matthew Geiger.

The SUV remains in the ditch where it crashed with evidence markers surrounding the vehicle.

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Venzor-Gonzales remains on the loose.

Last September, Venzor-Gonzales was wanted for the suspected kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend and their son which spurred an Amber Alert.

Venzor-Gonzales was later shot and wounded by police and arrested in November. He allegedly fired a weapon at a police officer after a chase that started during a traffic stop and ended up on foot. The suspect hid in a house for two days wounded before being taken into custody.

Anyone who notices anything suspicious or spots Venzor-Gonzales is asked to call 911 immediately.

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