Man escapes prison in Texas, taken back into custody in Calallen

By Shane Rackley

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    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KRIS) — 39-year-old Jesus Villareal was taken into custody by law enforcement on Sunday in Calallen after escaping from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Huntsville Unit earlier that day.

A TDCJ public information officer said that they believe Villareal had escaped by using a rope to climb down the wall of the prison. He then robbed a nearby gas station in the early hours of Sunday and fled a maroon Chevy Malibu.

According to a statement from TDCJ, Villarreal had been serving a 63-year sentence for four counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of aggravated assault out of Cameron County. He had received additional charges while in prison for possession of a deadly weapon in 2015.

Villareal was spotted in the Walmart parking lot in Calallen and was taken into custody without incident by a joint operation involving the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force (GCVOFTF). Officers found a replica gun and $1,507 in cash on him when he was arrested.

Villareal now faces felony escape charges.

Also arrested by the Office of Inspector General was Melissa Lozano for hindering apprehension.

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