It was a busy stretch for Texas fugitive hunters as three of the state's most wanted were hauled back into custody in separate operations in Hidalgo County, Plano and Houston, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The agency identified the captured men as Eduardo Quinones Fuentes, Kenneth Wayne Patterson and Leroy Lewis Jr., each previously listed on Texas' most wanted rolls.
In a post on X, the agency credited a mix of public tips and coordinated, multi-agency work for the recent arrests and noted that Texas Crime Stoppers paid out a reward tied to one of the captures. According to Texas DPS, the trio's arrests are part of an ongoing statewide push to track down high-risk fugitives.
Where The Arrests Happened
Eduardo Quinones Fuentes was taken into custody on June 22 at the McAllen–Hidalgo International Bridge in Hidalgo County. DPS describes him as a documented Tango Valluco gang member with outstanding warrants for parole violation, obstruction and failing to comply with sex-offender registration. According to Texas DPS, his prior record includes sexual assault and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Kenneth Wayne Patterson was arrested on June 24 in Plano after a tip to Texas Crime Stoppers, authorities said. He had been wanted on a warrant for Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration Requirements and has a prior conviction for sexual assault of a child. As detailed by Texas DPS, the tip that led to Patterson’s arrest is eligible for a Crime Stoppers reward, a reminder that sometimes the phone call really does change everything.
Leroy Lewis Jr. was captured on June 24 in Houston in an operation involving DPS Criminal Investigations Division agents working with local partners, according to the agency's captured list. Texas DPS lists Lewis among the fugitives now back in custody and notes that local authorities handled his booking and processing.
Charges And Next Steps
All three men are being processed on outstanding warrants and will be turned over to the counties or agencies that issued those warrants for formal booking and any follow-up court hearings. Court dates and detention conditions were not immediately posted on local online dockets, but DPS notices spell out the prior convictions and the warrants that prompted the new arrests.
For Fuentes and Patterson, the agency’s posted details cite parole violations and failure-to-register warrants that tie back to earlier sex-offense and violent-offense convictions. Texas DPS remains the central public repository for capture bulletins and related case information on the Most Wanted program.
Why Tips And Task Forces Matter
State officials say the formula here is not a mystery: anonymous tips from the public combined with coordinated task forces that include U.S. Marshals, Customs and Border Protection and local police have become the backbone of the Most Wanted initiative. The DPS has noted in a roundup of its Most Wanted work that dozens of fugitives were located through similar partnerships last year and that reward money has helped turn idle suspicions into actionable leads.
For a broader look at how the program functions and what those numbers look like, a summary from Texas DPS outlines recent captures and stresses that tipsters remain anonymous and can qualify for cash rewards when their information results in arrests.
How To Pass Along Tips
Anyone with information on a wanted suspect can contact Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit a web tip through the DPS Texas 10 Most Wanted site, or use the DPS mobile app. Authorities caution residents not to approach suspected fugitives themselves and to route anything they know only through law enforcement channels. Reward rules and anonymity protections are laid out on the agency’s Most Wanted pages, for those who want to help but also prefer to stay in the background.
