Texas authorities are racking up wins in their pursuit of the state’s most dangerous fugitives, with three high-profile captures in just over a week this October. All three men were on the Texas 10 Most Wanted list, with two facing charges related to crimes against children.
String of Arrests Bolsters Public Safety
The first capture came on October 15, when 26-year-old Ryan Cade Lewis was apprehended in a Milano parking lot. Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division Special Agents coordinated with the Milam County Sheriff’s Office to make the arrest, authorities confirmed.
Lewis, who had prior convictions for theft of firearms in 2022, had been evading authorities since April after being charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child in Leon County.
Just a week later, law enforcement struck again. Tommie Delamont Kelly, 34, was taken into custody at a Houston car wash on October 22. Kelly, a registered sex offender with a 2011 conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child that resulted in an 11-year prison sentence, had been wanted since May for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements, officials said.
The next day brought yet another capture. Tyler Lee Palmer, 29, was arrested at a Wichita Falls motel on October 23 following investigative work by DPS Special Agents. Palmer had been on the run since May for probation violations related to multiple aggravated assault convictions and a drug possession charge, according to state records.
Part of a Broader Success Story
These arrests aren’t isolated successes. They’re part of a remarkable year for Texas law enforcement in tracking down dangerous fugitives.
“So far in 2025, DPS and other agencies have arrested 58 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offenders and Criminal Illegal Immigrants, including 23 sex offenders and 13 criminal illegal immigrants,” a DPS statement noted.
What’s driving these results? The Texas Crime Stoppers program appears to be a significant factor, having paid out $41,000 in rewards this year for tips leading to arrests. Though none of the three recent captures will result in reward payments, the program continues to incentivize public cooperation.
The system relies on anonymous tips, protecting those who come forward with crucial information. “All tips are anonymous — regardless of how they are submitted — and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name,” the department explains.
How to Help
For those with information about wanted individuals, Texas authorities offer multiple ways to submit tips while maintaining anonymity. Options include calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), submitting information through the DPS website, or using Facebook’s tip submission feature.
With 58 arrests already this year and three dangerous fugitives taken off the streets in just over a week, Texas law enforcement continues to demonstrate that for those on the state’s most wanted list, it’s not a question of if they’ll be caught — but when.
