1 of 3 | Robert Yancy Jr., 39, escaped from the Clemens Unit in Brazoria, Texas, on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Texas Department of Criminal Justice/X
Dec. 18 (UPI) — Authorities in Texas are hunting an inmate serving a life sentence who escaped from prison over the weekend, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.
Robert Yancy Jr., 39, escaped Sunday from the Clemens Unit in Brazoria, Texas, which is located about 55 miles south of Houston.
He was last seen at about 3:38 p.m. Sunday in a 2021 white Nissan Versa wearing a black beanie and a black sweater, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a statement.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said it ran the vehicle’s license plate through its statewide license plater reader system, which returned a hit indicating the subcompact car was in Victoria County at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday.
“All information obtained at this point leads us to believe Yancy is no longer in Brazoria County,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement that added it was working with state and federal agencies to locate the escaped inmate.
The Victoria Police Department later said in a statement that officers pulled over the white Nissan at about 8:25 p.m. during a traffic stop and arrested its sole occupant and driver, a woman with an outstanding warrant related to Yancy’s escape.
Jail records indicate that Yancy was sentenced to life in imprisonment without parole on May 18, 2022, for the charge of continuous sex abuse of a child.
He was convicted by a jury, which heard evidence during trial that Yancy repeatedly abused a child over a three-year span starting in 2018 when his victim was seven years old.
“If you see Yancy, do not approach him and contact your local law enforcement,” the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.