Armed child molester makes daring escape in Baytown

Authorities in the Baytown, Texas, area say that a manhunt is under way for a convicted child molester who escaped custody Monday morning armed with a gun.

Police say that Arcade Joseph Comeaux, 49, surprised the two correctional officers transporting him in a vehicle with the gun and then took the officers' weapons.

He fled on foot, according to the Houston Chronicle.

-- Lance Murray

Comments

[Richard Corbin]

Accusation without Investagation is foolhardy.
We now know that the Offender escaped.

We do not know how he got the gun to escape.

TDCJ is a large agency and just like any large agency it makes mistakes. Sometimes one mistake builds upon another. Let's wait for the details before we assume that the Correctional Officer's on the armed transport are soley at fault.

[Richard Corbin]

Based on my working experience performing Offender Armed Transports while at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, I feel this article is not accurate. The driver of an Armed Transport does not carry a weapon. Only one Officer Carries a sidearm. The article said the Offender took the Officer's weapons (plural) meaning the Offender took more than one weapon.
I look forward to reading the details of your follow up report.
I might be wrong and procedures may have changed since 2000 and both Officers may have carried a sidearm.

[Richard Corbin]

TDCJ-ID is a large agency and like other large agencies or Corporations they make mistakes.

Most Units work a 12 hour shift. Imagine you work a four story cell block and you perform security cell checks every 30 minutes. Thats a lot of stairs and floors to walk. Imagine you are posted to a Armed Transport halfway through that long 12 hour shift. Tired people make mistakes. It's dangerous for them and the Public when they make mistakes. In our minds these types of mistakes become highlighted and stigmatised.
I can hear it now, the GUARD'S were asleep or whatever. For sure they may have been tired as 12 hours shifts are hard to do anywhere doing anything. Give this story more time to flesh out the details. I would like to know about the investigations findings. Who searched the Vechicle before it left the Unit. Did the vechicle stop anywhere else along the route. Did the escort Officers search the vechicle, did they search the Offender before he was placed in the vechicle or was it someone else that searched the vechicle and was it someone else that stripped searched the Offender before placing him inside the vechicle.

Mistakes sometimes build upon another mistake.

I'm giving the Officer's in that Vechicle the benifit of doubt for now. Not much but a little until the details are released.