Midland, TX - For Dusty Gus Hernandez, the chase is finally over. U.S. Marshals arrested Hernandez, one of Texas’ Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, at a house in Arlington, Texas last night. The arrest brings to close an intense manhunt that began on March 12th of this year when Hernandez fled town to avoid trial in Midland County for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Indecency with a Child.

The next day, the Midland County District Attorney’s office asked the U.S. Marshal’s Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to assist in locating Hernandez so that he could be returned to Midland to face trial. While on the run, Hernandez was further indicted for 18 counts of Child Pornography. The Marshals knew that Hernandez had friends and family scattered all over the State, but with Deputy U.S. Marshals all over the State as well, Phill Maxwell, Division Supervisor for the U.S. Marshals in Midland, said that it would just be a matter of time before they found him. At one point, Marshals had information that Hernandez may be associated with a professional dance organization in Dallas that involves children, so they ramped up the search, adding more resources and manpower.

By then, they were already putting a package together to highlight Hernandez on America’s Most Wanted. Marshals were able to develop information on a possible residence in Arlington, and contacted the U.S. Marshal’s Dallas/Ft. Worth Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (DFW FAST) task force in Ft. Worth. “The task force in Ft. Worth just did an outstanding job of good old-fashioned police work by interviewing a lot of people in the neighborhood”, Maxwell said. It paid off for them when someone recognized his photo, and confirmed that they were on the right track. The task force located Hernandez at that residence, and arrested him without incident. He was transported to the Tarrant County jail to await transfer back to Midland.

LaFayette Collins, the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas said that, “Teamwork is key in this type of investigation when the safety of our children is at stake. A fugitive anywhere in this country should know that we will not rest, and we will not let him rest until the search is over.”