Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Three of Texas’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders are back in custody following their recent arrests across the state. Authorities captured Eduardo Fuentes in Hidalgo, Kenneth Patterson in Plano and Leroy Lewis Jr. in Houston last week. A Texas Crime Stoppers reward will be paid for the arrest of Kenneth Patterson.
Eduardo Quinones Fuentes, 32, a documented Tango Valluco gang member who had absconded to Mexico, was taken into custody by U.S. law enforcement authorities at the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, on June 22. This multi-agency investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with members of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force, including Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Special Agents. Fuentes had been wanted since October 2025, after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation. In the same month, DPS issued a warrant for his arrest for obstruction. Additionally, in November 2025, a warrant was issued out of Hidalgo Co. for Fuentes’ arrest for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Since 2016, Fuentes has been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, sexual assault, assault, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and human smuggling. The sexual assault involved a 29-year-old female victim, for which he received 10 years of probation. More information about Fuentes can be found here.
Kenneth Wayne Patterson, 64, was taken into custody in Plano on June 24. Following up on tip information, DPS Special Agents and Plano Police Department officers, along with members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, located and arrested him at an apartment complex. Patterson had been wanted since December 2025, after a warrant was issued out of Dallas Co. for his arrest for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
In 1989, Patterson was convicted in Dallas Co. of sexual assault of a child following an incident with an 8-year-old girl and was sentenced to eight years of confinement. Patterson has a history of failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. More information about Patterson can be found here.
Leroy Lewis Jr., 53, was taken into custody in Houston on June 22. Working off investigative information, DPS Special Agents assigned to the Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Center, along with members of the Harris Co. Sheriff’s Office Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), Houston Police Department Southeast Crime Suppression Team and Office of the Attorney General (OAG) Fugitive Apprehension Unit, located and arrested him at a residence on the south side of Houston. Lewis had been wanted since March 2026, after a warrant was issued out of Harris Co. for his arrest for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
In the 1990s, Lewis was convicted of murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Authorities say that in the kidnapping case, he kidnapped a 20-year-old female victim whom he intended to sexually abuse. Lewis was sentenced to 35 years of confinement. In 2012, he was paroled from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and required to register as a sex offender. More information about Lewis can be found here.
Funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, Texas Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders or Criminal Illegal Immigrants. So far in 2026, DPS and other agencies have arrested 44 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including 32 sex offenders and eight gang members – with $61,500 in rewards being paid for tips that yielded arrests.
To be eligible for cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the following three methods:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about then clicking on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants Lists. You can find the current lists — with photos — on the DPS website.
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(HQ 2026-074) Texas DPS
