Three of Texas’ 10 most wanted fugitives are back in custody after a multi-department search and community assistance, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Michael Petterson, 55, who DPS classified as a high-risk sex offender, was arrested in Dayton on Nov. 27 by state troopers, special agents and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
Authorities have not disclosed what led to the arrest.
In 1991, Pettersson was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was convicted of harassment in 2003 and five years later for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. In 2014, Pettersson was convicted of additional family assault charges and sentenced to five years’ probation.
Petterson was placed on the Most Wanted list in 2023 after the San Augustine County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Christopher Garay was taken into custody in San Antonio on Nov. 29 after police received a tip from Crime Stoppers. He was originally convicted of five counts of aggravated robbery and sentenced to 18 years in prison on each count.
Garay was released on parole in 2018, but was made most wanted in January 2024 after a warrant was issued for his arrest on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole issued an additional warrant for his arrest in February.
Johnny Wilson, 54, was arrested in Grand Prairie after a Crime Stoppers tip. He was first arrested by Houston police in 2019 on suspicion of murder. He was bonded and given an ankle monitor, but fled after damaging or removing the device, police said.
Texas State Police have not disclosed any connection to the fugitive or the information that led to his arrest. They said a reward had been paid for information leading to the capture of Garay and Wilson.
DPS announced that with the help of other agencies, 44 fugitives, sex offenders, and illegal immigrants on Texas’ Most Wanted list have been arrested in 2024.
Texas Crime Stoppers has issued a $32,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. To be eligible for a cash reward, tipsters must provide information to authorities by submitting a tip to the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), the DPS website, or on Facebook There is.
All Crime Stoppers tips are anonymous.
