CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Andres Tunchez Jr. was captured Saturday evening. Law enforcement agents spent the weekend following up on leads in an attempt to locate the 32-year-old when they received a phone call from Jim Wells constable Jim Long, saying that the suspect could possibly be in an abandoned home in the Sandia area in Jim Wells County.
Officers then travelled to the Tunchez' suspected location off of County Road 361 in the Sandia area, when they were notified over the he had gotten into a red Jeep traveling West towards Hwy 359. Officers made contact with the vehicle and conducted a felony stop. Tunchez was in the passenger seat. The driver of the red Jeep was taken into custody at approximately 6:40 p.m. without incident. The driver of the jeep was identified as a 23-year-old from San Diego, Tx, he was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution and incarcerated at the Jim Wells County Jail.
Tunchez was transported back to the Duval County Jail and charged with escape.
The Duval County inmate escaped the county jail around 2:40 a.m. Friday while being moved to a transport van to go to a local hospital after saying he felt ill.
Duval County Sheriff Romeo R. Ramirez said Friday that medics were dispatched to the county jail to check Tunchez's vitals, and he escaped while he was being moved to the hospital.
"Because of safety reasons he was not shackled. He was going to get shackled once he got down here to the bottom. As soon as he got down to the bottom floor, he booked it."
A corrections officer chased after the 32-year-old inmate, but lost sight of him in a brushy area.
Tunchez took off from a sally port area outside of the jail as he was about to be moved- Sheriff Ramirez said that is when the ruse worked.
"There's no doubt in our mind that this definitely was planned, and somebody obviously picked him up."
Tunchez was arrested on Oct. 25 on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
He was also being held on charges of terroristic threat, unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury.
Sheriff’s deputies, DPS Highway Patrol, Alice Police Department, agents from the U.S. Border Patrol Freer Sector and the Jim Wells Sheriff’s Office are currently searching the area where he was last seen.
According to Sheriff Ranirez, Tunchez left behind his sandals and those were used for the state prison tracking dogs to try and find his scent. Residents of the small town in Duval County told 3NEWS they were worried about the ongoing search for Tunchez, who is considered to be armed and dangerous.
San Diego resident Dustin Martinez said he had never seen anything like the ongoing situation and expressed his hope for the search.
"I mean out on the loose for that- I mean honestly, they just need to catch him and... because he's dangerous, honestly."
There was a cash reward being offered to anyone who could help law enforcement get Andres Tunchez back behind bars. Authorities ask the public not to approach Tunchez.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Duval Sheriff’s Office at 361-279-3351.
Sheriff Ramirez said the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests may follow relating to hindering apprehension or prosecution.
Ramirez took to social media to thank all of the law enforcement agencies for their assistance in the apprehension. The sheriff said it was the vigilance of the Sandia community, who reported suspicious activity in the area, that lead to officers' capturing Tunchez.
"This proves that by communicating and working together we can do so much!!"
This is a developing story. 3NEWS will provide updates as we get them.