The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) today announced that 28 fugitives sought through the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program – 13 of whom were sex offenders – were arrested in 2014 by DPS and other agencies. In addition $63,500 in rewards were paid for anonymous tips that resulted in arrests last year.

“The Texas 10 Most Wanted Program is an powerful example of local, state and federal law enforcement working together toward a universal goal of tracking down and arresting dangerous fugitives and sex offenders,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Anonymous tips from private citizens are an indispensable component to this program, and DPS appreciates the public’s willingness to assist law enforcement in combating crime and protecting our communities.”

Of the 28 individuals captured in 2014, two fugitives and one sex offender were extradited from Mexico, and two fugitives and two sex offenders were extradited from other states. (View the captured fugitive archive at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/Texas10MostWanted/captured.aspx.)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has declared January as Crime Stoppers Month in Texas. Crime Stoppers programs enable citizens to anonymously report information about crimes for cash rewards, helping put criminals behind bars and assisting in crime reduction efforts. See the entire proclamation at: http://governor.state.tx.us/news/proclamation/20486/.

“Texas Crime Stoppers continues to make our state a safer place to live by utilizing our most valuable resource: our citizens,” Gov. Perry said. “Through their efforts, along with those of law enforcement, ordinary Texans have assisted in solving thousands of crimes and are helping to keep Texas a safe place to live, work and raise a family.”

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of the Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives or sex offenders. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

To be eligible for the cash rewards, there are five different ways to provide anonymous tips:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Text the letters DPS – followed by your tip – to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone.
• Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about, and then clicking on the link under their picture.
• Submit a Facebook tip at http://www.facebook.com/texas10mostwanted by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
• Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App.

  The app is currently available for iPhone users on the Apple App Store: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/texas-dps/id902092368?mt=8) and for Android users on Google Play: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microassist.texasdps&hl=en).

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists. You can find the current lists – with photos – on the DPS website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/texas10mostwanted/.