DPS: 3 Most Wanted Bad Guys Back Behind Bars

AUSTIN  — Three individuals listed among Texas' 10 Most Wanted offenders have been apprehended, marking significant progress in law enforcement efforts. Chad King, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive, was arrested on Nov. 29, while Brandon Luera and Lonnie Brown, both listed as Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders, were apprehended on Nov. 27 and Dec. 5, respectively. Crime Stoppers rewards are slated for the captures of King and Luera.

Chad Everett King, 34, was taken into custody in St. Louis, Missouri, after collaboration between the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the U.S. Marshals Metropolitan Fugitive Task Force. This operation, involving Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Special Agents, received support from the El Paso Police Department Crimes Against Persons Division and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. King had received concurrent three-year sentences in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison in November 2018 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.

King had been sought since December 2022, following warrants issued out of El Paso County for aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon, aggravated kidnapping involving sexual abuse, and six counts of aggravated sexual assault. Further details are available in his captured bulletin.

Brandon Neal Luera, 40, was arrested in Lubbock by members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, assisted by DPS Special Agents. Luera had previously received a five-year sentence of confinement in a TDCJ prison after a 2002 conviction for aggravated sexual assault related to an incident with an 11-year-old girl.

Luera had been wanted since April 2023, prompted by a Parole Violation warrant from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Additionally, a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender was issued out of Lubbock County in June 2023. Detailed information is available in his captured bulletin.

Lonnie Matthew Brown, 30, was apprehended in Dallas by the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, DPS Special Agents, and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Brown had received ten years’ probation following a 2012 conviction for indecency with a child by sexual contact, stemming from an incident involving a 4-year-old girl.

Brown had been sought since September 2023, following a warrant issued out of Dallas County for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Further information is accessible in his captured bulletin.

Texas Crime Stoppers, funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, provides cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders. In 2023, 44 individuals, including 12 gang members and 22 sex offenders, have been apprehended by DPS and other agencies. Rewards totaling $107,500 have been disbursed for tips resulting in arrests.

To qualify for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information through one of three methods:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the relevant fugitive and clicking on the provided link under their picture.
• Submit a Facebook tip by accessing the “SUBMIT A TIP” link under the “About” section.

All tips are anonymous, and tipsters will receive a tip number instead of using their name.

DPS investigators collaborate with local law enforcement agencies to determine individuals for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders Lists. Current lists, featuring photographs, can be found on the DPS website.

It's crucial to refrain from attempting to apprehend these fugitives as they are considered armed and dangerous.