Three of eight parole violators are being sought this week by Bee County deputies after deputies with the U.S. marshals left town following a sweep through here last week.

Those being sought were identified at Dominic Jobert, 21, Antonio “Tony” Moreno Jr., 24, and Eric Herrera, 22.

Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Intelligence Service investigator Sgt. Drew Pilkington and Deputy Lt. Jason Hinds said the three were among eight parole violators on the marshals’ list when they came to town last week.

“When the heat was on, they fled,” Hinds said of the three men.

Hinds and Pilkington were asking that anyone who might know where the three men are to call the Bee County Sheriff’s Office at 362-3221 or the Bee County Crime Stoppers organization hotline, 362-0206.

Crime Stoppers also can be contacted toll-free at 877-362-0206 or can be reached by e-mail at bccs.crimestoppersweb.com.

Crime Stoppers will often offer a reward for such information and callers always remain anonymous.

Hinds said Jobert and Moreno both were wanted for violating their parole agreements. They had been convicted and turned over to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, first degree felonies, and aggravated assault, serious bodily injury, both second degree felonies.

First degree felonies are punishable by prison terms of from five to 99 years or life and fines of as much as $10,000.

Second degree felonies can get a convicted offender from two to 20 years in prison and a fine of as much as $10,000.

Pilkington said Herrera was on parole after being found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity, also a first degree felony.

Last Monday deputies with the U.S. Marshals’ Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi teamed up with Pilkington and local deputies to arrest Jacob Leal, 29, and Roberto Adan Martinez, also 29.

Leal, who was on parole after being convicted of possession of a controlled substance, cocaine, was found in the 700 block of West Walton Street.

His offense was a third degree felony punishable by a prison term of two-10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Martinez was discovered in the 600 block of East Crockett Street. He had been convicted on a charge of burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony.

On Wednesday, the team took Martin Arrvizo, 23, into custody at the Pantry East convenience store after he contacted the Bee County Sheriff’s Office and volunteered to turn himself in to the authorities.

Hinds said Arrvizo told the marshals that he was “tired of running and tired of the marshals in my business.”

Arrvizo was on parole after being convicted of burglary of a habitation, a second degree felony.

Two others were taken into custody on Friday by Pilkington and Hinds after the marshals had returned to Corpus Christi.

The investigators found 25-year-old Jordan Garza at a residence on White Lane. He was on parole after being convicted on three counts of sexual assault of a child.

The two investigators then found 37-year-old Alberto Rodriguez at a residence on Fenner Street that same day.

Pilkington said he and Hinds managed to cover two of the three doors at the house but Rodriguez escaped out the uncovered door. Pilkington said he chased the parole violator on foot for about two blocks before taking him into custody.

Rodriguez was wanted by marshals for violating parole on a burglary of a habitation conviction and he had recently been indicted on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

The burglary of a habitation conviction was a second degree felony but that conviction had allowed prosecutors to enhance the cocaine possession charge to a punishment range of 25-99 years or life in prison.

Parole violators are arrested on what law enforcement personnel call a “blue warrant” and they are not eligible for bail.

Another parolee was taken into custody on Wednesday, Hinds said, when Pilkington and Deputy Sgt. Steve Linam joined parole officials for a home visit in the 1100 block of North St. Mary’s Street.

That parolee was not on the marshals’ list.

Hinds said the team was checking up on Jake Fox, a 21-year-old parolee who had been convicted on two counts of burglary of a building, a state jail felony, and one count of burglary of a habitation.

The burglary of a building offense is punishable by a term of from six months to two years in a state jail facility and a fine of as much as $10,000.

He also had been convicted on a misdemeanor charge of burglary of a vehicle.

Hinds said law enforcement officers often accompany parole officials on such visits to look for things like knives and guns, alcohol and other items normally not allowed under the provisions of an offender’s parole.

During the visit, the two lawmen discovered Fox had a military issue bulletproof vest in the home, thereby violating his parole.

A law-abiding citizen may have body armor, Hinds said, but a convicted felon may not.

Fox was immediately taken into custody.

Hinds and Pilkington said the position that Sheriff Carlos Carrizales has taken on working with other state and federal agencies has gone far toward reducing criminal activity in Bee County.

“These are sex offenders and gang members,” Hinds said. “We want to assist each other in getting the offenders off the street.”

“The sheriff has his whole department out, not just the investigators,” Pilkington said. Carrizales works closely with a task force of selected law enforcement agencies that works with the U.S. Marshal Service in rounding up parole violators. The sheriff has appointed Commander Karl Brune as the local member of the task force and he assists the team in rounding up fugitives in the South Texas area.

“The sheriff realizes that these guys violating parole are continuing some type of criminal activity,” Pilkington said.

“These are the most notorious violations they are committing,” Hinds said.

“These are not traffic violations they’re committing,” Pilkington remarked. “They are assaulting family members, abusing drugs and committing other crimes.”

“The system has given them a second chance and they have abused that,” Pilkington commented. “Society has shown faith in them and they’ve violated that faith.”

“We never stop,” Hinds said. “It’s always something. But this community is a lot safer now.”