Madera County Man Accused of Fleeing Custody After Being Temporarily Released to Attend Grandmother’s Funeral
MADERA, CA — “Around 11 am today (Friday) the Madera County Sheriff’s Office located 30-year-old Michael Sanchez after failing to return from a court-allowed day-pass to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Salinas on June 11, 2025.
Sanchez, who was sentenced to two years for Domestic Violence, criminal threats and violation of probation, was due to return that same day at 7pm, but failed to do so. Sanchez had been granted a temporary day-pass from a visiting judge from Fresno.
Deputies observed his girlfriend, 29-year-old Marie Cruz Perez pull over along Avenue 23 and pick up Sanchez from an orchard. A short time later, she pulled over and the two switched places, with Sanchez now driving the vehicle.
Deputies tried to pin in the vehicle a short time later, but Sanchez crashed into the vehicles and took off at a high rate of speed. Deputies saw at that time there were young children in the vehicle and were not chasing it. He eventually crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Avenue 7 and Road 23. That vehicle was driven by a woman who had two small children inside her car.
Sanchez immediate fled on foot from the scene. He was tracked by the department’s Falcon 1 aircraft along with assistance from the Fresno County Sheriff’s Eagle 1 helicopter and was taken into custody in less than 30 minutes.
Sanchez now faces additional charges of felony hit & run, assault with a deadly weapon and felony child endangerment.
Cruz Perez was also taken into custody at the scene of the crash and charged with felony endangerment and an accessory.
The three children in their vehicle have been taken into protective custody with Child Protective Services.”
