UPDATE: Saturday 9:45 p.m. - Authorities with the Duval County Sheriff's Department have reported that escapee Andres Tunchez Jr. has been captured and taken into custody at Orange Grove in Jim Wells County.
Original Story:
The Duval County Sheriff's Department is on the lookout for inmate Andres Tunchez, Jr. after he escaped from the county jail early Friday morning. The 32-year-old had been complaining about feeling ill and was in the process of being transported to the hospital by the transport van when he made his escape.
Corrections officers ran after him for several blocks before losing sight of him when he ran into the brush.
Sheriff's Deputies, DPS Highway Patrol, Alice Police Department, US Border Patrol Freer Sector, and Jim Wells Sheriff's Office are currently searching the area where Tunchez was last seen.
Tunchez was locked up on October 25, 2023 on an FTA warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is also being held on charges of terroristic threat, unlawful restraint, and assault causing bodily injury.
The public is asked not to approach Tunchez if seen as he has a history of violence. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Duval County Sheriff's Office at 361-279-3351 or 361-279-6209, or call 911.
Information will remain anonymous.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
