Montgomery County, TX — An inmate who escaped from Liberty County custody while receiving medical treatment at a Kingwood hospital has been captured in Washington and is expected to be returned to Texas to face additional charges.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Yorlan Rafael Reyes, 31, escaped during the early morning hours of July 18 while receiving treatment at HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood. At the time, he was being held on a charge of Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material.
Investigators tracked Reyes through Liberty County, Cleveland, the Houston area, and eventually to Washington State. Authorities said he received assistance traveling to the Seattle area and had been working construction while avoiding capture.
After investigators identified a cellphone believed to be in Reyes’ possession, the information was shared with the U.S. Marshals Service, which located and arrested him in Mukilteo, Washington, after nearly three weeks on the run.
Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle said his deputies and specialized units assisted the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and federal partners throughout the investigation and manhunt.
Sheriff Doolittle also confirmed that an ICE detainer has been placed on Reyes. Once he is returned to Texas and his criminal cases are addressed, authorities said he is expected to be transferred to federal immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
Reyes now faces an additional Escape charge. Investigators have also said further charges could be filed against anyone suspected of helping him evade capture.
Authorities previously alleged Reyes continued sending threatening messages to women in Texas while he was on the run, including messages involving their juvenile daughters. Those allegations remain under investigation.
The multi-agency effort involved the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
