Fresno police may change security measures after murder suspect briefly escapes custody

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno man wanted for killing two people briefly escaped custody Sunday night.

Gustavo Duenas had evaded police for more than two weeks after investigators say he shot and killed Calvin Reese and Jose Nunez back on Dec. 6 at an apartment complex near Balch and Winery streets. Then on Sunday, in the same area where the crimes were committed, Fresno police took Duenas into custody.

"He was arrested for two counts of murder, one count of robbery, and one count of participating in a criminal street gang," said Fresno Police Lt. Joe Gomez.

After police interviewed Duenas, they were in the process of transporting him from the police station to a transport van to take him to jail, when he escaped custody.

"A perimeter was established immediately, and within an hour officers located him near the federal building at P Street and Inyo, and he was taken into custody there," said Gomez.

Officers say Duenas' hands were handcuffed in front of him, instead of behind him

"They said he had an injured arm, had sutures in his arm; one officer told me it was broken, but that's why he was handcuffed in the front," said Gomez. "There are no shackles, we generally do not put shackles on people's ankles when we transport them, so it does happen."

Fresno police officers are now looking into putting in extra security measures for violent offenders, when they are being transported.

Duenas is now facing an additional charge for escaping custody, along with the murder and robbery charges.