A convicted murderer from Houston who vanished before he could be sentenced in a deadly robbery case is now back in custody after getting picked up in Brooklyn on Thursday, July 16, 2026, officials said. Elvio Emilio Mancebo, who pleaded guilty in a 2017 robbery that left two people dead, disappeared in 2023 and spent years on the run before a multi-agency manhunt finally caught up with him.
In a post from FBI Houston, agents credited what they called "outstanding teamwork" between FBI Houston, FBI Newark, FBI New York, the U.S. Marshals Service and several regional fugitive task forces. The post specifically named the U.S. Marshals' New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force among the partners in bringing Mancebo in. Authorities have not yet shared exactly where in Brooklyn the arrest took place or how the takedown unfolded.
Wanted In Harris County
Court records show Mancebo was charged with capital murder in 2017 after prosecutors said he shot two people during a robbery, and he later agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge that carried roughly a 50-year sentence, according to KTRK/ABC13. The station reported that he failed to appear for sentencing in October 2023, cut off his court-ordered GPS monitor and then vanished.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office later listed him on its public most-wanted page, signaling just how badly local authorities wanted him back in custody. The case eventually turned up in FBI Houston's regional fugitive rollout, which was summarized in a regional fugitive rollout overview.
What Happens Next
Officials have not yet said where Mancebo will be held in New York or how quickly he might be sent back to Texas, according to the FBI post. The U.S. Marshals Service's New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and other marshals units regularly work with local and federal partners on Brooklyn arrests, and this case fits that playbook of multi-jurisdictional coordination.
Once custody and transfer arrangements are locked in, it will be up to Harris County prosecutors to decide whether to move forward under the plea agreement that was already on the table or to pursue a different legal path.
Legal implications
According to KTRK/ABC13, the plea paperwork indicated that Mancebo had agreed to a roughly 50-year term and included a handwritten note that would bump the sentence to about 60 years if he failed to appear for sentencing. If he is extradited to Harris County, those plea terms, along with any outstanding charges or possible enhancements, will be handled by local prosecutors and the court.
For now, officials have not released any upcoming court dates, bond details, or word on whether additional charges could be filed in New York tied to his time as a fugitive.
