TX - Texas inmate Arcade Comeaux escapes from prison 11/30/09

[momtective]

There are surveillance camera's all over the prisons...maybe one of them captured someone getting into the car. The gun could have been hidden between the backseat, shoved down craves.

 

[alwaysonmymind]

If he could get a gun smuggled to him, he can get a car. He's got people on the outside.

He had 'em on the inside, too. jmo

 

[momtective]

The brazen escape early Monday of a pistol-wielding rapist — a career criminal with a penchant for abducting and assaulting girls as young as 7 — had prosecutors and police scrambling to notify past victims while state lawmakers, once again, demanded a crackdown on prison contraband.

As Arcade Joseph Comeaux Jr. remained on the lam this morning, authorities were also searching for answers as to how a supposedly-disabled, incarcerated felon in a wheelchair managed to get a gun, hijack a van with two Texas Department of Criminal Justice guards and then disappear into the morning.

Authorities said the inmate's plan unfolded about 5:45 a.m Monday as the guards left the Estelle Unit in Huntsville on their way to the Stiles Unit in Beaumont. Comeaux sprang into action and pulled a gun and fired a warning shot as they reached Highway 105 in Conroe.

The 49-year-old inmate then forced the two correctional officers transporting him to drive to Baytown, where he handcuffed the guards and took a 12-gauge shotgun and two semiautomatic pistols from them. The convict, who was the only inmate being transported, kept the officers' weapons and donned one of their gray uniforms and a pair of boots before fleeing about 9 a.m., officials said. The two officers were discovered about 10 a.m., unharmed.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6745293.html

 

[raysgirl1126]

Whoa, he was in a wheelchair? WTH?

 

[4Kat]

I'm thinking maybe the gun was hidden somehow in the wheelchair. Since most have metal on them, metal detectors would go off and no one would think anything about it.

 

[Texas Mist]

tweet update:

Police also searching through the Restaraunt Row area of College Station for escaped TDCJ Prisoner. Arcade Joseph Comeaux

another online article says this -- and more about Comeaux:

Searchers continued to concentrate on the Baytown area, Moriarty said. “There is no concrete evidence he’s out of the area,” he said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6745293.html

 

[kbl8201]

any new victims this guy seeks out should sue the state for a gazillion dollars.

 

[wfgodot]

Folks in College Station said they saw Comeaux dining at a Taco Cabana.

http://twitter.com/home#search?q=comeaux

UPDATE: according to tweets from sources, the man was detained but found NOT to be Comeaux.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Reward Increased

People in College Station feared that an escaped prisoner known to harm children was eating at an area fast-food restaurant, but a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman has confirmed that the man at the restaurant was not the escapee.

As much as $16,000 has been offered as a total reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the capture of escaped prisoner Arcade Joseph Comeaux Jr.

The U.S. Marshal's Office is offering a reward of up to $10,000, in addition to a reward of up to $5,000 from Crime Stoppers of Houston. An additional reward of up to $1,000 has also been offered by the Office of Inspector General with the TDCJ.

snipped from http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091201-arcade-comeaux-search

 

[Missizzy]

My heart goes out to the man who was thought to be Comeaux. He'll never forget that meal.

Years ago, my husband was sitting at Mary's Pizza in Petaluma, California when FBI agents surrounded his table and asked to "have a word with him outside". It was about Polly, of course. She attended school with our kids and my husband vaguely resembled her abductor. My poor guy, though, was thoroughly rattled and mortified. He felt tainted and dirty to be even connected with the thought of that murderous monster.

I know everyone is doing their job. How I hope they get him soon. Texas Mist, you keep your doors locked!!

 

[CuriousTwo]

Man Matching Description of Escapee Causes Manhunt in College Station-False Alarm

For three hours in College Station police from all Brazos County law enforcement agencies were searching for a man matching the description of prison escapee Arcade Comeaux. It turns out the man witnesses thought was Comeaux, was not.

Posted: 1:07 PM Dec 1, 2009


For three hours in College Station police from all Brazos County law enforcement agencies were searching for a man matching the description of prison escapee Arcade Comeaux. It turns out the man witnesses thought was Comeaux, was not. Police and News 3 reporters describe the man as a "dead ringer" for Comeaux.

The search began about 9AM Tuesday after witnesses called police about a man on a bike who matched the description of the TDCJ escapee. From then until 11:45AM police combed the area looking for the suspect. Dogs from TDCJ were brought in to help in the hunt. College Hills Elementary School was in lock down. Police searched an area from University Drive to almost Harvey Road and Lincoln to Texas Avenue looking for the suspect.

Just before noon police found the man they were looking for; a College Station resident and not an escapee. The Comeaux look a like was then let go.

In the meantime the real Arcade Joseph Comeaux is still on the loose. While there is no indication he is in Bryan-College Station a statewide search continues.

Throughout Tuesday afternoon similar reports of men matching the description of Comeaux have been called into police keeping them busy following up on the calls.
<snipped>

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/78241147.html

 

[Texas Mist]

My heart goes out to the man who was thought to be Comeaux. He'll never forget that meal.

Years ago, my husband was sitting at Mary's Pizza in Petaluma, California when FBI agents surrounded his table and asked to "have a word with him outside". It was about Polly, of course. She attended school with our kids and my husband vaguely resembled her abductor. My poor guy, though, was thoroughly rattled and mortified. He felt tainted and dirty to be even connected with the thought of that murderous monster.

I know everyone is doing their job. How I hope they get him soon. Texas Mist, you keep your doors locked!!

Thanks for your concern, MissIzzy...I hope he doesn't come to Austin -- but I'm more concerned about friends & family - well, anybody for that matter -- in southeast TX.

It's beyond me why anyone would want to harbor or help a violent animal such as Comeaux unless they are just as heartless.

DBF believes Comeaux will slip up & get caught soon...I certainly pray for that to happen.

 

[LadyL]

um, I thought prisoners didn't know in advance their dates/times of transfer for this very reason and so that family members/friends couldn't try to ambush or enemies couldn't try to get at the prisoner

did he know in advance? if so, how & why ...

who helped him on the inside? someone did ...

guns hidden in his wheelchair? what'd they do, make it in tool class?

fishy

 

[Vegas Bride]

um, I thought prisoners didn't know in advance their dates/times of transfer for this very reason and so that family members/friends couldn't try to ambush or enemies couldn't try to get at the prisoner

did he know in advance? if so, how & why ...

who helped him on the inside? someone did ...

guns hidden in his wheelchair? what'd they do, make it in tool class?

fishy

You're correct about inmates not knowing ahead of time when they'll be transported. Generally they know they will be moved, but do not know what day or what time, when they take them out it's quick. This makes me even more suspicous about someone working there helping him.
Not long ago I had to go to training up at the prison, it was about inmate/employee relations and I can not tell you how much it was stressed about all the ways inmates will manipulate anything they can pick up on from an employee. If they can find out someone is having money problems etc it can be a way for them to start paying you for small favors, then those favors get bigger and bigger. If one day you decide to stop the favors, then they can threaten to tell all if you don't continue.
I hope they are looking at everyone who had close dealings with this man, that includes volunteers, legal council, clergy etc along with the guards.

VB

 

[fran]

Wow! I was so into the four officers murder in Washington State, I completely missed this. This man is a very dangerous individual. It would appear that no man, woman, or child is safe with him loose.

I pray they catch him before he harms anyone else.

JMHO
fran

 

[fran]

Convicted sex offender Comeaux still loose


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,full article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.reporternews.com/news/20...nder-comeaux-still-loose/?partner=yahoo_feeds

 

[6angels]

He is not a man. He is a Monster

 

[CuriousTwo]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/02/texas.escaped.prisoner/

Texas lawmaker calls for shake-up after prisoner's escape

December 2, 2009 7:26 p.m. EST

Arcade Comeaux Jr. escaped with two guards' guns while he was being transferred between prisons, authorities say.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* NEW: Escapee's mom: "How did my son come in contact with a gun inside the prison?"
* Authorities: Inmate was being moved between prisons when he revealed gun
* Man, who was in wheelchair, confined guards; senator says chair might have been ruse
* State senator: "We just can't have security breaches of this nature"


(CNN) -- The man who oversees Texas' criminal justice system called Wednesday for a shake-up as authorities searched for a prisoner in a wheelchair who escaped on foot Monday from two armed guards as he was being transferred between prisons.

"I just think enough's enough," said state Sen. John Whitmire, a Democrat from Houston who is chairman of the state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee.

"We need a complete shake-up of the leadership of our prison system and/or an outside review by third parties," he said of the escape of Arcade Comeaux Jr., 49. "We just can't have security breaches of this nature."

The 6-foot, 200-pound Comeaux was serving a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

A van containing him and two correctional officers left the Estelle prison in Huntsville about 5:45 a.m. Monday, bound for the Stiles prison in Beaumont, where Comeaux was being reassigned, said Michelle Lyons, director of public information for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, in a written statement.

Comeaux was shackled and in a wheelchair, "which he had claimed was needed for mobility," Lyons said. <snipped>

 

[CuriousTwo]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091201-arcade-comeaux-search

Reward Increased to Find Missing Prisoner

Updated: Tuesday, 01 Dec 2009, 5:20 PM CST
Published : Tuesday, 01 Dec 2009, 12:23 PM CST



BAYTOWN, Texas - People in College Station feared that an escaped prisoner known to harm children was eating at an area fast-food restaurant, but a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman has confirmed that the man at the restaurant was not the escapee.

As much as $16,000 has been offered as a total reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the capture of escaped prisoner Arcade Joseph Comeaux Jr.

The U.S. Marshal's Office is offering a reward of up to $10,000, in addition to a reward of up to $5,000 from Crime Stoppers of Houston. An additional reward of up to $1,000 has also been offered by the Office of Inspector General with the TDCJ.

Anyone with information concerning the Comeaux case is asked to contact the TDCJ Crime Stoppers at 1-800-832-8477 (TIPS).

FOX 26 News has learned from the TDCJ that Comeaux and his ex-wife Leola have maintained a close relationship and have continued to communicate throughout his incarceration.

On Monday night, patrols heavily patrolled 12 square miles in Baytown looking for Comeaux, who allegedly pulled a gun on two guards during a prison transfer Monday and held them hostage temporarily before fleeing on foot in one of the guard's uniforms, authorities said. <snipped>

 

[CuriousTwo]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/091201-arcade-comeaux-search