Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office reported finding the escaped jail trusty Melton Medina-Tuirubiates in a wooded area off FM 69 around 12:25 p.m. Tuesday using search dogs. Officials reported the man was in custody, and officers were in the process of walking the inmate to a more accessible area so he can be checked by EMS at 12:30 p.m. April 19, 2022.
The 49-year-old Sulphur Springs man was reported around 9 a.m. Monday, April 18, 2022, to have escaped from a work detail at Sulphur Springs Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Medina-Tuirubiates was pursued into the night by Texas Department of Criminal Justice-ID K9 units, federal, state and local law enforcement, including Texas Department of Public Safety aircraft, according to arrest reports.
Tuesday morning, April 19, 2022, K9 units tracked the escaped trusty to a deer camp on FM 69, which was believed to have been used for overnight accommodations. The camp was found to have been broken into and items were reported to have been stolen from inside of it, Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger John Vance alleged in arrest reports.
Later Tuesday morning, the K9 units tracked Medina-Tuirubiates to a residence on the corner of FM 69 and the north Interstate 30 feeder road. That residence also was alleged to have been broken into and had items stolen from inside, the Texas Ranger noted in arrest reports.
Around 12:30 p.m. April 19, 2022, law enforcement apprehended Medina-Tuirubiates. He was alleged at that time to have on him, items alleged to have been stolen during the two previous burglaries.
After being checked by EMS personnel, Medina Tuirubiates was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked not only on the original violation of probation charge he was jail for on March 21, 2022, Medina-Tuirubiates, but also three new charges: escape while in confinement for walking off from his work detail as a trusty, and two burglary of a habitation charges, according to jail reports.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
