Texas Governor Greg Abbott has celebrated the capture of the man who topped a new list of the state’s most wanted suspects living in the U.S. illegally.
Victor Hugo Chox Gonzalez, 38, was arrested in Fort Worth and booked into Tarrant County Jail on June 13, the Texas Department of Public Safety reported. He was wanted for aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
On June 5, Abbott, a Republican who has aggressively moved to curb illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, launched a new list of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants. The public is warned not to attempt to apprehend the fugitives on the list as all are considered armed and dangerous.
On X, formerly Twitter, the governor celebrated Chox Gonzalez’s arrest, writing: “Texas captures the #1 most wanted criminal illegal immigrant. He’s now behind bars in Tarrant Co. We continue our search for the other most wanted.”
Texas captures the #1 most wanted criminal illegal immigrant.
He’s now behind bars in Tarrant Co.
We continue our search for the other most wanted.https://t.co/qE4z9VxGgO
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 18, 2024
Newsweek has contacted Abbott’s office for comment via email.
Chox Gonzalez is from Mexico but has ties to Tarrant County, including the cities of Pantego and Arlington, DPS said.
He has a criminal history in the U.S. dating back almost a decade. In 2016, he was convicted of driving while intoxicated with a child under the age of 15 and assault causing the bodily injury of a family member, the department said in a news release. He was removed from the U.S. that year.
In 2021, Chox Gonzalez was arrested in Tarrant County for assault and providing false information to authorities. He was released from jail on bond, but later that year, warrants were issued for his arrest.
Last year, the Arlington Police Department issued fresh warrants for his arrest for the aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to anyone who provides information that leads to the capture of anyone on the new most wanted list.
Chox Gonzalez’s arrest “was a result of investigative efforts and a series of leads by DPS Special Agents assigned to his case,” DPS said. As a result, no reward will be paid, the department added.
To be eligible for a cash reward, tips must be submitted by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about and then clicking on the link under their picture, or on Facebook by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
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