Inmate who escaped after court appearance in downtown Houston back in custody (2024)

HOUSTON — An escaped Harris County inmate is back in custody after a 12-hour manhunt overnight.

Sanders was arrested at a family member’s home. Deputies said Sanders initially resisted arrest so they used Tasers to help take him into custody.

Two more people were also arrested for helping him hide from authorities. They were later identified as Kathryn Gomez Sanders and Zana Tyler, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff’s office said they received tips, leading investigators to multiple addresses.

Now that Thomas is in custody, he’s facing two more charges including aggravated robbery. That's because deputies said after he escaped the courthouse, he tried to carjack a woman.

He’s also being charged with escape.

Sanders’ condition was not given but he was taken to the hospital to be checked out.

Deputies also did not reveal how Sanders managed to slip from custody at the courthouse or how he got his hands on a knife, which he allegedly used to hold a district attorney's office staffer at knifepoint.

At this point, it’s not clear how he managed to get from downtown to the east side. KHOU 11 News is working to learn more.

What we know about the escape

Officials with HCSO said Sanders made a court appearance at 1301 Franklin Street and was able to escape on the way back to jail around 3:30 p.m.

They said he got in a woman's car and held her at knifepoint, but the car crashed on Commerce Street and Sanders ran away.

"He jumped in that car and she wrecked it within just a few feet," Bosquez said.

Authorities said that was the last time Sanders was seen on camera.

"We have multiple resources from the sheriff's office searching for this individual," Bosquez said.

Authorities said the woman who was held at knifepoint was OK and she worked at the Criminal Justice Center for the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

HCSO officials said once they got the report that an escape had taken place, they shut down the jail and counted inmates. That's when they realized Sanders was gone.

The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable's Office handles security at the courthouse, so they were leading the investigation. The Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff's Office, among other law enforcement agencies, were helping with the search.

Pct. 1 officials said Sanders jumped into the bayou when he escaped custody after an afternoon court appearance. However, during a news conference just before 7 p.m., the sheriff's office said they couldn't confirm he went into the water.

Law enforcement agencies used crime scene tape to block off multiple sections of downtown while they searched for Sanders, who was described as being about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and 165 pounds. They said he was to be considered dangerous and to not approach him if you saw him. They also said they believed he was armed with a knife and was a threat to the community.

"We believe he had a knife," HCSO Assistant Chief Phillip Bosquez said.

The search efforts were focused around downtown, but officials said they believed Sanders was transient and didn't have any known neighborhoods he frequented.

"We do believe he is a dangerous individual and so there is still a threat to the community at this time," Bosquez said. "At this point, he lives a transient lifestyle is what we have, so we don’t have a hard address or a neighborhood he would frequent."

According to court records, Sanders was facing three burglary charges and an unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon charge before his escape

Harris County District Attorney releases statement

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg released this statement about the employee who was caught in the middle of the situation:

"Earlier today, one of our employees was held against her will by a man with a knife who apparently escaped from official custody. We are thankful and grateful that she was not physically harmed during this incident.

"The general public should be on heightened alert that this man has yet to be apprehended, but we are confident that law enforcement will be able to find and apprehend the suspect.

"Once he is arrested, we expect to prosecute this defendant and seek justice in this case."

UH-Downtown goes into secure mode

The University of Houston-Downtown announced it went into secure mode Thursday around 4:35 p.m. due to the police activity.

A social media post from UHD directed staff members to go inside, lock the doors and avoid windows. According to university officials, no students were on campus at the time but staff members who were there were told to follow the instructions.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article reported Sanders escaped from the Harris County Jail, but authorities corrected that and said he was able to get away after his court appearance. Officials also initially said it was an assistant district attorney who was held at knifepoint, but later said it was a staff member with a different title.