An inmate escaped from a psychiatric hospital in Austin last night and is on the run.
On Thursday, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office issued a media release announcing the inmate’s escape from Cross Creek Psychiatric and Addiction Hospital in Austin.
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The escapee has been identified as McArthur Deashy Mathis, a man standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 185 pounds. He is bald with brown eyes and has multiple tattoos on his head and neck.
Mathis was last seen on May 28, 2025, at 8 p.m. Reports indicate that Mathis escaped by kicking open a back door and jumping over a 6-foot fence.
At the time of his escape, Mathis was last seen wearing a navy-blue shirt and teal pants.
Mathis was transported to the hospital on May 21, at which point he was left in their custody.
He was arrested on January 2, 2025, by GCSO for multiple warrants out of Victoria Police Department, along with additional charges in Grimes County. His charges included unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury to a family member, obstruction or retaliation, deadly conduct, and burglary of a habitation.
Mathis is also a registered sex offender and is known to have contacts in Grimes County, Lavaca County, Brazos County, and Gonzales County.
This is the second time in 2025 that a Grimes County inmate has escaped from a psychiatric facility in the past several months.
Back in March, a man named Scott Shepple—who was facing multiple charges including sexual assault and continuous violence against a family member—escaped from Cypress Creek Behavioral Hospital after being held in Grimes County Jail.
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He was recaptured less than 24 hours later after being found at a motel near 249 and the North Freeway. In April, he was sentenced to 35 years behind bars.
Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Mathis’s whereabouts to contact the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office at 936-873-2151 or Grimes County Crimestoppers at 936-873-2000.