U.S. Marshals Service detectives conjectured Thursday that a 37-year-old man who fled from police custody at a hospital in Bellville last week might be a day worker or homeless person.
Authorities said they had no good leads on the whereabouts of Salvador Saucedo, a registered sex offender facing criminal charges in multiple Texas counties, days after the Waller County Sheriff’s Office began a search.
Around 7 p.m. on January 23, Saucedo broke out while being tested at the Mid Coast Medical Center in Bellville, which is roughly 65 miles west of Houston. According to police on Thursday, he used a piece of hospital equipment that he had repurposed as a tool to pick the locks on his leg irons and handcuffs.
When the deputy assigned to keep an eye on Saucedo went to the bathroom, he left on foot, according to the police. After being alerted by hospital workers, the deputy attempted to pursue Saucedo but was unable to follow him and determine his route.
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Using marked and unmarked patrol cars, K-9s, and drones, law enforcement began a manhunt. According to the police, Saucedo may have headed toward a remote and desolate place close to the hospital.
The Waller County Sheriff’s Office is currently weighing two options: either he died from the weather, the terrain, the temperature, and the remoteness of the region he fled, and his remains are hidden, the sheriff’s office stated in a news release on Thursday. Either he was seized from the region and taken to an unidentified location, or someone helped him avoid capture and he is being hidden in the same area.
Police describe Saucedo as a Hispanic man with brown hair with red highlights, face tattoos, and missing front teeth. The Texas internet sex offender registration states that he weighs 190 pounds and is 5 feet 11 inches tall.
In Gonzales County, which is roughly 140 miles west of Houston, Saucedo was accused of indecency with a kid last year. In addition, he was charged with stalking outside of Brazos County. According to the sheriff’s office, Saucedo was charged with assault on a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, and flight in Waller County.
After authorities tracked down an explicit text message purportedly sent to a 16-year-old girl via Saucedo’s cell phone, Saucedo was also charged with online solicitation of a child in Brazos County, according to KPRC.
A $5,000 reward is being offered by the U.S. Marshals Service for information that results in Saucedo’s arrest and indictment. The Waller County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 979-826-8282. Waller County Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips at 979-826-8266.
