Sexual Predator Fugitive Arrested in Dallas County  

AUSTIN – Thomas Lee Elkins, 58, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender, is now in custody after being arrested in Coppell on Friday by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol and Coppell Police Department. A $5,000 reward will be paid on a tip that helped lead to his arrest. Elkins was wanted for felony Failure to Comply with Civil Commitment Requirements after discarding his electronic monitoring device and leaving a Houston halfway house October 5. 

The tip came from Arizona and established that the offender may be a passenger in a truck traveling in Dallas County. DPS and the Coppell Police Department pulled the vehicle over and arrested Elkins Friday morning at 346 E. Beltline Road in Coppell. His lengthy criminal history included Aggravated Sexual Assault, Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Rape, Forcible Rape, Indecent Liberties with Child and Aggravated Battery. See Elkins’ captured bulletin at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/Texas10MostWanted/capturedDetails.aspx?id=169 .

So far in 2012, DPS and other agencies have arrested 29 Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including 20 gang members, and $93,000 in rewards have been paid for tips that resulted in arrests. The cash rewards are funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division.

Elkins fled from an east Houston halfway house where he was electronically monitored until October 5.  He has family in Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana, and has worked as a truck driver and diesel mechanic.  His arrests include Aggravated Sexual Assault, Assault, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Rape, Forcible Rape and Indecent Liberties with Child. He was considered a person of interest in a serial homicide investigation outside of Texas, although no charges were ever filed. 

Elkins is approximately 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has blue eyes, grey hair, a distinctive “Fu Manchu” moustache, wears silver glasses for reading only, and walks with a limp. He has also been known to shave his head and facial hair. (See photo above right.) For more information, please view his wanted poster at:

http://www.dps.texas.gov/Texas10MostWanted/SexOffenderDetails.aspx?id=169.

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of the Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives or sex offenders. There are four different ways to provide anonymous tips:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Text the letters DPS—followed by your tip—to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone.
• Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about, and then clicking on the link under their picture.
• Submit a Facebook tip at http://www.facebook.com/texas10mostwanted by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).

All calls, texts, e-mails and Facebook messages are anonymous.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists. To view the current lists—with photos—visit the DPS website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/texas10mostwanted/.

Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.