Fugitive brought to justice

A fugitive from justice was tracked down and caught recently thanks to the alertness and intuition of officers working security at the courthouse.

Not anticipating an outcome in his favor, a defendant on trial in the 75th District Court thought it best not to show up for the final day of his trial when the verdict was to be handed down. Instead, he took off for parts unknown.

What might have otherwise turned into a prolonged and costly manhunt was shortcut when courthouse security informed investigators that on an earlier day of trial they had noticed the car the defendant had arrived in, thought something seemed peculiar about it, and took down its license plate number. As it turned out, the car belonged to the defendant’s girlfriend, and it was the car the defendant used when he decided to head for the hills.

Both car and defendant were soon spotted in Arkansas, and wherever the car is now, the defendant is in the pen.

At the start of Tuesday’s Commissioners Court, 75th District Court Judge Mark Morefield presented on behalf of the Commissioners Court, a certificate of recognition to the officers on the courthouse security team whose vigilance led to the capture: Perk Ostrewich, Jasmine Fontenot and Willard Ungles. Included in the recognition, too, was Bruce Gilchrist, not pictured.