Bexar County Fugitive Sought After Woman Hides for Hours to Escape Assault

A Bexar County woman spent nearly four hours hiding after she says a man violated a protective order and assaulted her at a residence near midnight, and the man accused in the case is now one of the sheriff's office's most wanted fugitives. Deputies identify him as 43-year-old Magdaleno Murillo, who is wanted on charges of continuous violence against the family, violating a bond or protective order involving assault or stalking, and assault causing bodily injury to a family member.

According to investigators, Murillo approached the victim because he believed she was recording him with her cellphone, and he allegedly assaulted her before she managed to walk away, as reported by KABB. The station reports the assault happened around midnight on May 17, 2026, at a residence, and the victim then hid for approximately four hours before Bexar County deputies received a report of the incident two days later, on May 19, in the 13000 block of Quintana Road. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has since placed Murillo, incident number 2026-BCSO-011150, on its official Top 20 Most Violent Offenders roster, a designation reserved for suspects law enforcement considers top-priority fugitives.

What Deputies Say Murillo Looks Like

Murillo stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, per the station's report. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at (210) 335-6000. Deputies have not said whether they've identified a vehicle or specific location connected to Murillo, and it remains unclear how long the victim had held a protective order against him before the alleged assault.

Why the Charges Carry Felony Weight

The charges against Murillo reflect a legal escalation built into Texas law for repeat domestic violence offenders. Continuous violence against the family, under Texas Penal Code Section 25.11, applies when a person commits domestic assault two or more times within a 12-month span, and it's classified as a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Law Office of Ernest Acevedo III.

Violating a protective order or bond condition is typically only a Class A misdemeanor in Texas, but it escalates to a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison when the violation involves an assault or stalking against the protected person, per the Law Office of David A. Breston. Separately, assault causing bodily injury to a family member is classified under Texas Penal Code Section 22.01(a)(1) as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine, with bodily injury defined broadly to include any physical pain, illness, or impairment, according to the Law Office of David D. White, PLLC.

A County Already Reeling From Domestic Violence

Murillo's case lands in a county already grappling with alarming domestic violence numbers. Bexar County recorded the highest per-capita domestic violence death rate in Texas in 2024, with 17 domestic violence-related fatalities that year, according to Texas Council on Family Violence data reported by KENS 5. A separate report from the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence, cited by Texas Public Radio, put the 2024 tally at 32 domestic violence-related homicides countywide, alongside 2,267 emergency protection orders issued by local magistrates and 1,568 civil protective order applications filed.

Local law enforcement agencies across Bexar County handle more than 58,500 domestic violence calls annually, with San Antonio police alone responding to over 40,000 family violence calls in an average year, according to Hoodline's earlier reporting on the trend. In May, the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence presented its 2025 Annual Progress Report to the Bexar County Commissioners Court, highlighting a public awareness campaign that generated more than 58 million impressions aimed at connecting residents with prevention and support resources, per the City of San Antonio.

A Familiar Pattern of Manhunts

Murillo's case echoes a pattern seen earlier this year. In February, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office launched a similar public search for Richard Julian Garcia, a 6-foot, 200-pound man wanted on charges of continuous violence against the family and protective order violations following an alleged violent domestic assault in San Antonio, Hoodline reported at the time. Deputies routinely advise the public not to approach suspects wanted on outstanding violent felony warrants.

Victims of domestic violence in Bexar County can reach Family Violence Prevention Services' 24-hour crisis line at (210) 733-8810 for support, emergency lodging through the Battered Women and Children's Shelter, and legal and social assistance through the Bexar County Family Justice Center.