East Austin pastor arrested for multiple sex crimes against children

A pastor of an East Austin church is in jail for multiple counts of sex crimes against children.

The 59-year-old Ruben Garcia was booked into the Hays County Jail on Monday. Garcia went by reverend at the Betania Baptist Church in East Austin.

In April, a U.S. Marshals task force in Corpus Christi began searching for Garcia after a grand jury indicted him for sexual assault of a child.

Nueces County court documents show the alleged incident occurred on Christmas day of 2015.

Marshals tracked him to Central Texas and reached out to the Austin office that Hector Gomez oversees.

"In the process of working Garcia up, an additional warrant was discovered that was released by the Hays County Sheriff's Office,” said Gomez.

As it turned out, Garcia was also wanted out of Hays County for two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact. Police said the incidents took place in 2013 and 2014.

Gomez said the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force tracked Garcia to this home in Buda.

"He was out in the front yard and the team decided to take him down then,” said Gomez. "He simply said he didn't know what this was about. Why were we here? So we advised him. He didn't say anything. We transported him to Hays County Detention Center,” said Gomez.

Gomez calls Garcia’s position alarming as there are youth programs at the church. He wonders if there are more victims.

"That's part of why we want to let the public know that if there are potentially other victims that they contact law enforcement,” said Gomez.

This arrest comes after Gomez announced a plan last week to place a special emphasis on those wanted for sex crimes.

"We're glad to put this one away,” said Gomez.