Within the past week, two fugitives on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s “most wanted” list have been captured in separate arrests in East Texas.
Thaddeus Cordera Hodge
Contributing photos/DP
Hodge, the Texas 10 most wanted sex offender, was captured near the Enterprise Mountains on Monday, March 17th. A Facebook post by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the arrest occurred at the southern tip of Rusk County.
In 2018, Hodge was convicted of two counts of indecency with a child, following the incident with a 15-year-old woman, following sexual contact. He was sentenced to eight years of confinement for each crime to serve simultaneously.
He was sought since August 2023 after the Texas Commission on Pardonment and Parole issued a warrant for arrest for a parole violation. Additionally, a warrant was issued by Rusk County since August 2024 after he was arrested for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements and debit/credit card abuse.
Previous charges include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault that causes a family member with physical injuries, indecency from sexual contact with a child, illegal portable weapons, driving while drunk, possession of controlled substances, and theft of property.
Before his capture, Hodge’s last known address was in the garrison.
Rigoberto Enrique Valencia
Contributing photos/DP
Valencia, the most wanted criminal immigrant from the Texas 10 most wanted El Salvador, was captured on March 14th in Cleveland, Texas. In conjunction with DPS Special Agents, deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office made traffic stops on the vehicle, leading to arrests.
In March 2024, Valencia was arrested by the Houston Police Department for illegally transporting weapons. On August 25, 2024, he was arrested by the Houston Police Department for a banned weapon, and was linked to prison a few days later.
He was recruited from August 29, 2024 after a warrant was issued for being arrested from Harris County.
Neither of these arrests were the result of tips via Texas crime stoppers, so no reward money was paid for any of these captures.
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