"Take a good look at this photo" -- that's what San Diego Crime Stoppers said on Friday when they told the public that Jovany Gallardo had escaped from custody.
Members of the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force took the 29-year-old Gallardo, who uses various spellings of his first name, into custody about 10 p.m. on Thursday night, authorities said. A few hours later, he was being processed at the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation on federal drug-related charges when he managed to escape.
Officials said he was not handcuffed at the time, though he appears to be in a photo released by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
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A search of the nearby area using a drone, helicopter and dogs was fruitless, law enforcement said on Friday afternoon in a news release.
Gallardo, who was last seen walking on Lemon Grove Avenue, is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds. He is heavily tattoed on both calves and arms. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a navy-blue Champion T-shirt, jean shorts and had a mustache and relatively short hair.
Officials said the drug case against Gallardo involved the FBI and the East County Gang Task Force.
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Anybody with information about Gallardo's whereabouts is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tips can be called in anonymously. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest.
