Portales 'person of interest' arrested after chase

CLOVIS - A "person of interest" sought last week in relation to a Portales homicide investigation was arrested Sunday afternoon following a vehicle pursuit that meanwhile involved a car crash with a Clovis police officer.

According to a news release Monday from the Clovis Police Department, officers commenced a vehicle pursuit around 4 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of 13th and Lea streets. Manuel Silva Jr, 23, initially stopped driving the black Volkswagen Jetta for police's emergency lights but "as the Officer approached the vehicle it fled," the release read.

Ultimately, Silva "crashed the vehicle into a gas meter and continued to flee on foot," finally being apprehended on the 1100 block of North Prince Street after officers chased him on foot.

During the pursuit, a CPD officer "driving to the area of the pursuit was involved in a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of 7th and Gidding Streets," the release said.

That officer along with unnamed "occupants of the other vehicle involved in the crash" were transported to a local hospital "with non-life threatening injuries," the release said.

Silva was booked Sunday night in the Curry County Adult Detention Center on a felony warrant unrelated to the April 7 shooting death of Adam Holts in Portales.

Police on Friday requested public assistance in locating Silva and another "person of interest," Morgan Carmichael, in relation to that homicide investigation. They specified that Silva and Carmichael are not suspects.

Silva was booked into jail after being medically cleared at the local hospital, said the CPD release. He was also charged with aggravated fleeing a law enforcement officer. Court and jail records did not show any charges or arrests on Carmichael as of Monday morning.