U.S. Marshals capture top 10 most wanted sex offender
A convicted sex offender on the state's top ten most wanted list was hiding right here in Travis County. After two years of being on the run, U.S. marshals picked him up this morning in Del Valle.
In September of 2015, convicted sex offender Kevin Waddell, walked out of the Travis County Jail with instructions to contact his registration agency to update his status.
He'd been arrested for possession of cocaine and public intoxication.
He never appeared. When deputies visited his last known address in Lakeway -- it was vacant.
After serving prison time in the 90s for sexually assaulting a woman, Waddell was required to register annually.
He did so for years.
Three weeks ago U.S. marshals began to hunt for Waddell.
On Tuesday they partnered with DPS to place him on a top ten most wanted list.
"We immediately started getting tips and working on those tips we were able to develop a location,” said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez.
Those tips lead them to Del Valle. This morning they picked him up at a business where he'd been working as a welder.
"He knew exactly that the gig was up. He was very animated with himself in terms of pounding on a vehicle,” said Gomez.
Lone Star Fugitive Task Force Supervisor Hector Gomez says Wadell had grown a beard. He was also using a different name.
"Everyone knew him as Ken Williams,” said Gomez.
Waddell is now back in the Travis County Jail with four pending charges.
Gomez says he hopes to repeat this type of success as the task force begins an effort to go after other sex offenders.
He says his office has seen an uptick in sex assault fugitives with a case load in the tens of thousands.
He encourages the public to continue monitoring most wanted lists as he hopes to create one of his own very soon bringing more people like Waddell to justice.
"Let's hold them accountable. Let's get them in jail. Let's give some kind of empowerment to the victims of these assaults,” said Gomez.