What started as a quiet night at a Kerr County RV resort ended in sirens, alerts, and a manhunt that stretched into late Friday morning. A teenage boy was assaulted late Thursday, and deputies say he was injured in the attack. Nearly 12 hours later, 44-year-old David Bryan Cox Jr. was arrested after authorities found him hiding in a field near Interstate 10 shortly after 11 a.m.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office says the assault happened at an RV park in the 2800 block of Goat Creek Road. Deputies pushed out a Code Red alert warning residents that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous and was reportedly wearing tactical gear and a gun belt with multiple magazines, according to KSAT.
“It said (the) 2800 (block), an RV resort. Well, this is the only one around here,” resident Nathaniel Short told KSAT, adding, “For this to happen is very shocking, so very concerning.” Some neighbors said they never saw the emergency alert on their phones, which only added to the confusion as law enforcement vehicles flooded the area.
Search and capture
Deputies began combing the area around 10 p.m. Thursday after responding to the assault call. They were spotted searching grassy lots and staging patrol units near the RV resort, according to the San Antonio Express-News. A 911 caller later reported a suspicious man near mile marker 501 on Interstate 10, and deputies took Cox into custody shortly after 11 a.m. when they found him hiding in a field a few miles from the park. Investigators stayed in the area looking for the weapons and body armor deputies said Cox had been carrying.
Legal status
An arrest warrant was filed charging Cox with assault by strangulation, according to the sheriff’s office, which said deputies would remain on scene while they continued searching for any weapons tied to the case. “If you are in this area, please remain careful and aware of your surroundings,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. The investigation is ongoing, and officials have not released the teen’s name.
Neighbors react
Back at the RV resort, residents described their community as a mix of longtime regulars and short-term visitors, the kind of place where late-night police lights are not the norm. The sudden influx of officers and tactical gear left many unsettled. Some said they were ready to protect themselves while deputies searched nearby, while others said they were simply relieved that the suspect was caught relatively quickly after the alert went out. The visible, multi-agency response brought some comfort even as questions remain about what led to the attack.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office says it will continue its investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact KCSO at 830-896-1133 or call 911. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Kerr County Crime Stoppers at 830-896-8477 as deputies work to locate any remaining weapons linked to the case.
