AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Department of Public Safety announced in a press release that three fugitives on the state's 10 Most Wanted list have been captured following recent arrests.
Christopher Garay, 35, was arrested in San Antonio on November 29 after a tip led authorities to his location. He was wanted on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Garay had previously been convicted of five counts of aggravated robbery in 2011 and released on parole in 2018. A warrant for his arrest was issued in January 2024, and he had been a fugitive since February when the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a parole warrant for him. Working with the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of the Inspector General (TDCJ OIG), DPS Special Agents located and apprehended him. Crime Stoppers is offering rewards for information that led to his capture.
Johnny Wilson, 54, was arrested on December 2 in Grand Prairie. He had been wanted since February 2023, when a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a murder in Harris County. Wilson had been arrested for the crime in 2019 but bonded out with an ankle monitor, which he later removed or damaged. His arrest was made after a tip led authorities to him. The U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force, along with DPS Special Agents and local police departments, coordinated the operation that led to his capture. A Crime Stoppers reward will be paid for tips that led to Wilson’s arrest.
Michael Petterson, 55, was apprehended in Dayton on November 27. Petterson, a high-risk sex offender, had been on the run since November 2023, when a warrant was issued for his arrest for failure to comply with sex offender registration requirements. Petterson's criminal history includes multiple convictions, including an aggravated sexual assault charge in 1991. He was arrested after an investigation by DPS Special Agents, Troopers, the Chambers County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force.
Left to Right: Christopher Joshua Garay, Johnny Leon Wilson, Michael Wayne Petterson
(Credit: Texas DPS)
The arrests are part of ongoing efforts by DPS and local law enforcement to apprehend individuals on the Texas 10 Most Wanted list. In 2024, DPS successfully captured 44 individuals from the list, including 16 sex offenders, 10 gang members, and 4 criminal illegal immigrants. Crime Stoppers has paid out $32,000 in rewards for information leading to these arrests.
The Texas Crime Stoppers program offers cash rewards for tips that result in the capture of fugitives, sex offenders, or criminal illegal immigrants. To be eligible for rewards, tipsters must provide information through one of three methods:
- The Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS
- Online via the DPS website
- Via the DPS Facebook page
All tips are anonymous, and tipsters are given a unique tip number to protect their identity.
Authorities urge the public to avoid attempting to apprehend these individuals, as they are considered armed and dangerous.
For more information on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives, including photos and details on each individual, visit the DPS website.
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