A Texas capital murder suspect who was out on bond and failed to appear in court was captured Monday after a weeks-long manhunt for the fugitive.
“Early this morning, fugitive Trevor McEuen was taken into custody,” Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Monday, sharing a photo of a muddied and barefoot McEuen handcuffed in the backseat of a law enforcement vehicle.
McEuen had been on the run since early May, when he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor and fled the day his trial was scheduled to start in connection with the 2023 shooting of his neighbor, rancher and horse trainer Aaron Martinez.
McEuen allegedly admitted to shooting and killing 35-year-old Martinez as the rancher sat in his truck outside his home.
McEuen was held on $2 million bond. A judge declined to reduce that bond amount last May, and McEuen ultimately posted bond and was released in September with an ankle monitor, FOX 4 reported. He was taken back into custody after allegedly violating the terms of his release, but McEuen posted $2 million bond again in December and was released a second time.
He is facing charges of capital murder by terror threat, murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The Texas Department of Public Safety issued an additional warrant against McEuen on May 6 for arson of a habitation, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
When he cut off his ankle monitor, McEuen allegedly set fire to the home where he was staying in Van Zandt County before officers arrived.
TEXAS MANHUNT UNDERWAY FOR SUSPECT WHO REMOVED ANKLE MONITOR
Gov. Greg Abbott has since cited the case when pushing for bail reform, including a state constitutional amendment that would require Texas judges to automatically deny bail for violent crimes, including murder.
On May 15, Abbott said the award for information leading to McEuen’s capture increased to $30,000, as he urged Texans to submit an anonymous tip to “help law enforcement apprehend this heinous criminal.”
The Republican governor said McEuen “is exactly why Texas must fix its broken and deadly bail system.”
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The sheriff’s office promised additional details about the circumstances of the arrest would be released later Monday morning.
Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
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