HOUSTON (AP) - A Texas prison escapee on the run for almost 16 years has been captured in Mexico and awaits extradition to the U.S. to finish serving his sentence on charges of attempted capital murder of a police officer.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials say Juan Salaz was caught last week by authorities in Mexico. The 37-year-old American citizen had been sought for years by authorities on both sides of the border.
Salaz escaped in March 1997 from the Garza East prison in Beeville in South Texas. He was serving three concurrent 35-year sentences out of Houston for two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
He's now also facing a felony escape charge.
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