Overview
- Authorities say Xavier Isiah Gutierrez used another inmate’s identity to secure release and remains at large.
- Hays County prosecutors added a third-degree felony escape charge to Gutierrez’s existing Brazoria County theft case and a Pearland evading-arrest warrant.
- The sheriff’s office has launched an internal review of the jail’s release process and has not disclosed when staff noticed the error or whether anyone helped Gutierrez leave.
- Officials would not identify the detainee whose name was used, and they are asking the public to tip Detective Mike Bishop, Hays County dispatch, Crime Stoppers, or submit anonymous leads at P3Tips.com.
- The case raises questions about how Hays County verifies identities at release and could prompt changes to procedures as law enforcement coordinates across jurisdictions to find Gutierrez.