Two of Texas’ most dangerous fugitives are off the streets — and authorities didn’t waste much time getting there.
In separate operations carried out just days apart, law enforcement confirmed the arrests of Carl James Hegert, 40, a convicted sex offender, and Brien Keith Coleman, 39, a fugitive — both listed on the Texas 10 Most Wanted. Hegert was taken into custody in Houston on February 18, 2026, and Coleman followed in Waco on February 23. Both had been among the state’s most sought-after suspects, and their captures mark a notable back-to-back win for a coalition of state and federal agencies working the cases simultaneously.
A Long Record and a Warrant That Finally Caught Up
Hegert’s criminal history stretches back two decades. Since 2006, he’s racked up convictions for theft of a firearm, sexual assault of a child, assault causing bodily injury to a family member, failure to register as a sex offender, and manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance — a resume that made him a priority target long before his name landed on the Most Wanted list. He had been discharged from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as recently as January 2025.
It didn’t take long for the warrants to pile up again. By October 2025, Waller County had issued an arrest warrant for larceny, and San Jacinto County wanted him for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements — a condition he had apparently violated before. That combination of open warrants put him squarely in the crosshairs of multiple law enforcement units.
His arrest came after investigators tracked him to an apartment complex in Houston. Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division Special Agents, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers assigned to the Texas Anti-Gang Violent Crimes Unit, and members of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force all worked the operation together. It was a coordinated takedown — the kind that doesn’t happen without solid intelligence built over weeks.
Coleman Stopped Cold on a Waco Street
Coleman’s capture was more straightforward, at least on the surface. DPS Special Agents and members of the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force coordinated with Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to conduct a traffic stop in Waco on February 23. That was it — Coleman was in custody. Sometimes the simplest stops carry the biggest consequences.
Authorities haven’t released detailed background information on Coleman’s charges, but his placement on the Texas 10 Most Wanted list signals he wasn’t someone investigators took lightly. The program targets individuals considered armed and dangerous — and the public is explicitly warned not to approach anyone on the list under any circumstances.
No Reward This Time — But the Tally Is Growing
Here’s the catch: neither arrest will trigger a Crime Stoppers payout. Both captures stemmed from investigative work rather than public tips, meaning no reward is owed. That’s not unusual in high-priority fugitive cases, where agencies often develop their own intelligence pipelines independent of civilian leads.
Still, the broader numbers tell an encouraging story. So far in 2026, DPS and partner agencies have apprehended 11 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders — including eight sex offenders and one gang member. Tipsters have been paid $13,500 in rewards for information that led to arrests. That’s not a trivial number, and it reflects how much the program relies on community involvement even when individual cases get resolved through other means.
How to Submit a Tip
For those with information on remaining fugitives, Crime Stoppers offers three ways to report anonymously. Tipsters can call 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting a fugitive’s profile, or send a Facebook tip through the Texas 10 Most Wanted page by clicking the “Submit a Tip” link. All methods are fully anonymous — no name required. Tipsters receive a tip number instead, and eligibility for cash rewards depends on using one of those three official channels.
The reminder is worth repeating: anyone who spots a Most Wanted fugitive should not approach them. These are individuals the state of Texas considers armed and dangerous — and that designation isn’t just boilerplate language.
Two down, and the list keeps getting shorter — but for the fugitives still on it, the message from Houston and Waco couldn’t be clearer: the agencies hunting them aren’t stopping, and neither are the tips.
