AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Fernando Thompson, 57, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, and a cash reward up to $7,500 is now being offered for information leading to his capture. Thompson, who is a sexually violent predator, removed his ankle monitor on Nov. 24 and fled from an Austin halfway house. He is wanted for felony failure to comply with civil commitment requirements and is considered at high risk to reoffend. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.
Thompson has ties to the Austin, Beaumont/Vidor and Reno, Nev., areas, as well as Florida. His criminal history includes aggravated sexual assault of a child and sexual assault. In June 2005, Thompson was required to participate in the civil commitment program.
Thompson is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs approximately 175 pounds. He has a dimple on his chin and is known to wear glasses. Thompson is possibly driving a silver 1997 Chevrolet Lumina with Texas license plate GCL-5976.
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.
To be eligible for the cash rewards, there are four different ways to provide anonymous tips:
- Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- 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 by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
- Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App. The app is currently available for iPhone users on the Apple App Store and for Android users on Google Play.
All tips are anonymous – regardless of how they are submitted.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists. You can find the current lists – with photos – on the DPS website.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
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