Texas murder suspect on the loose after escaping before court appearance
A murder suspect is on the loose in north Texas after allegedly removing his ankle monitor before a court appearance, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office.
Trevor McEuen was due in court on Monday for a murder charge in Kaufman County, the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Kaufman County, which is east of Dallas, has an active warrant for bail revocation for capital murder for McEuen, officials said.
"If you are aware of anything suspicious in the area, please contact 911. Do not attempt to apprehend McEuen," the sheriff's office said.
"Our number one priority is the safety of all citizens of Van Zandt County. We are working diligently with our partner agencies to ensure the safety of all our citizens," Sheriff Kevin Bridger said in a statement.
McEuen is accused of shooting his neighbor to death in May 2023, according to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. Aaron Martinez, 35, was found dead in his truck, which had been riddled with bullets.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, had called for hate crime charges when the shooting happened, saying, "Three weeks ago, Aaron Martinez was murdered in cold blood by a man who wanted to drive Hispanics out of Kaufman County. ... If Kaufman County authorities continue to drag their feet on filing hate crimes charges against Trevor McEuen, federal prosecutors need to step in to ensure that justice is served."
McEuen was arrested again in September 2024 after he posted a photo of Martinez and Martinez's uncle on Instagram and threatened to shoot the uncle.
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of McEuen.
ABC News' Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.
