A 45-year-old convicted felon last known to live in San Antonio's Highland Park neighborhood on the city's East Side is now the target of a federal manhunt, accused of choking a woman on two separate occasions hard enough to leave her struggling to breathe. Rudy Barbosa is wanted on a federal arrest warrant stemming from an alleged assault that authorities say violated the terms of his supervised release.
According to KABB/Fox San Antonio, Barbosa allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck and applied enough pressure to restrict her ability to breathe. Per authorities, he allegedly attacked her a second time as well, wrapping his arm around her neck and applying pressure that caused breathing difficulties and a panic attack. Investigators documented visible redness and abrasions they said were consistent with the woman's account of the assaults.
The alleged attacks left Barbosa facing an active Bexar County warrant for third-degree felony assault of a household member by impeding breathing or circulation. Under the Texas Penal Code, that kind of charge covers intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding a person's normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck, or by blocking the nose or mouth.
A Supervised-Release Violation Turns Into a Federal Warrant
Barbosa isn't a stranger to the federal court system. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court in 2023, and was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, the station's report notes. Authorities now allege that the new assault charge violated the conditions of that supervised release, and the alleged violation resulted in a federal arrest warrant.
Federal supervised-release law, under 18 U.S.C. § 3583, allows a court to order additional conditions of supervised release under circumstances described in the statute — the kind of framework that can turn a new state-level assault allegation into a federal fugitive case.
Marshals Ask Public to Help Track Down Barbosa
The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force asked the public's help finding Barbosa in San Antonio. He's described as Hispanic, 5 feet 5 inches tall and approximately 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and he has a distinctive tattoo depicting a pair of red lips on the right side of his neck, per the same account. U.S. Marshals warned that fugitives may change their appearance to avoid being recognized.
Barbosa is featured in this week's Marshals Most Wanted segment on Fox San Antonio. The task force has had recent success in the area — in August, it arrested a San Antonio man wanted for capital murder with assistance from the San Antonio Police Department's Covert Response Unit, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Anyone with information about Barbosa's whereabouts is urged to contact the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force at 210-657-8500, or to submit a tip through the U.S. Marshals Service tips app.
