Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives from San Antonio, Freestone, Wharton counties captured, official say

(Left to right: Raynaldo Farias Tijerina, Steven Ray Powers and Columbus Eric Johnson) (Texas Department of Public Safety)

HOUSTON – Three fugitives listed on Texas’s 10 Most Wanted offenders were captured in September, according to law enforcement officials.

Raynaldo Tijerina, of San Antonio, was arrested Sept. 6, in Fort Stockton; Steven Powers, of Teague, was also arrested Sept. 6, in Atlanta, Ga.; Columbus Johnson, of Wharton, was arrested Sept. 8, in Rosenburg.

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Raynaldo Farias Tijerina

Tijerina, 44, known to be affiliated with the Tango Blast gang, had been wanted since October 2021, when the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office issued two warrants for his arrest for invasive visual recording and possession of child pornography, according to authorities. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for Tijerina’s arrest the following month for a parole violation.

In 1995, Tijerina was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 30 years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison. While in prison, he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to an additional 15 years. Tijerina was released on parole in January 2017.

Steven Ray Powers

Powers, 59, had been wanted since May 2022, when the Freestone County Sheriff’s Office issued warrants for his arrest for two counts of failure to register as a sex offender and one count of bail jumping/failure to appear.

In 1981, Powers was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to four years of confinement. In 1991, he was convicted of burglary of a habitation and sentenced to 18 years of confinement. In 1994, he was convicted of aggravated kidnapping with intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually, for which he was sentenced to 10 years of confinement. In 2014, Powers was convicted of assault of a family/household member by impeding breath/circulation and was sentenced to six years of confinement.

Columbus Eric Johnson

Johnson, 58, had been wanted since January 2022, after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation. Two months later, the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest for failure to register as a sex offender.

In 1982, Johnson was convicted of sexual assault of a child after an incident involving an 11-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 10 years of confinement. In 1992, he was convicted of murder and received a life sentence. Johnson was released on parole in 2013.


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