Juan Salaz, 37, was captured in Mexico last week, 16 years
after he escaped from the South Texas prison where he was serving his
sentence for trying to murder a Houston officer in 1995.
HUNTSVILLE, TX (KTRK) --
A man convicted in a 1995 attempted murder case involving an HPD officer
was captured in Mexico 16 years after he escaped from a Texas prison.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials say 37-year-old Juan
Salaz was caught last week by authorities in Mexico and is awaiting
extradition to the U.S. He is an American citizen and has been sought by
authorities on both sides of the border.
Salaz escaped in March 1997 from the Garza East prison in Beeville by climbing over three 16-foot razor wire topped security fences. He was serving three concurrent 35-year sentences out of Houston for two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
Prison records show on April 2, 1995, Salaz and another man, Geronimo Soto Alvarado, abducted a man at gunpoint and demanded a ransom. Houston police undercover officers involved in the case arranged for the exchange. After the abducted man was freed, they identified themselves as police and Salaz and Alvarado opened fire on them. A police sergeant avoided serious injury when he was saved by his body armor. Another officer suffered a hand wound.
Salaz was seriously wounded when police returned fire. He recovered from his injuries and subsequently pleaded guilty.
Alvarado, now 45, also was arrested and is serving a life sentence for two convictions of aggravated assault and another for aggravated kidnapping.
Prison officials said sources for years had told them Salaz was hiding out in Mexico but he managed to evade police. The hunt for him involved the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas prison system's Office of Inspector General and Mexican law enforcement agencies.
"Salaz thought that he had eluded authorities by starting a new life in Mexico," Department of Criminal Justice Inspector General Bruce Toney said Wednesday. "He was wrong."
Salaz is to be returned to Texas custody once the Mexican government approves his extradition.
Salaz's capture leaves Jose Fernando Bustos-Diaz, 24, as the lone Texas prison fugitive. He fled in April 2010 from the Brisco Unit in Dilley, near San Antonio. The prison houses medium- and minimum-security inmates. He also is believed to have fled to Mexico.
"(Salaz's) arrest should be a reminder to those who think they can outrun justice. We will never stop looking for you," Toney said.
Bustos-Diaz was serving 35 years for a 2005 murder in Harris County.
Salaz escaped in March 1997 from the Garza East prison in Beeville by climbing over three 16-foot razor wire topped security fences. He was serving three concurrent 35-year sentences out of Houston for two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
Prison records show on April 2, 1995, Salaz and another man, Geronimo Soto Alvarado, abducted a man at gunpoint and demanded a ransom. Houston police undercover officers involved in the case arranged for the exchange. After the abducted man was freed, they identified themselves as police and Salaz and Alvarado opened fire on them. A police sergeant avoided serious injury when he was saved by his body armor. Another officer suffered a hand wound.
Salaz was seriously wounded when police returned fire. He recovered from his injuries and subsequently pleaded guilty.
Alvarado, now 45, also was arrested and is serving a life sentence for two convictions of aggravated assault and another for aggravated kidnapping.
Prison officials said sources for years had told them Salaz was hiding out in Mexico but he managed to evade police. The hunt for him involved the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas prison system's Office of Inspector General and Mexican law enforcement agencies.
"Salaz thought that he had eluded authorities by starting a new life in Mexico," Department of Criminal Justice Inspector General Bruce Toney said Wednesday. "He was wrong."
Salaz is to be returned to Texas custody once the Mexican government approves his extradition.
Salaz's capture leaves Jose Fernando Bustos-Diaz, 24, as the lone Texas prison fugitive. He fled in April 2010 from the Brisco Unit in Dilley, near San Antonio. The prison houses medium- and minimum-security inmates. He also is believed to have fled to Mexico.
"(Salaz's) arrest should be a reminder to those who think they can outrun justice. We will never stop looking for you," Toney said.
Bustos-Diaz was serving 35 years for a 2005 murder in Harris County.
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