HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Harris County Commissioners provided an update during a Wednesday news conference on the work that has been achieved by the Violent Persons Task Force since it was created in Sept. 2022.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Commissioners Adrian Garcia and Lesley Briones, and several constable’s offices were present at the meeting. The task force was launched to arrest violent criminals, and the group was able to clear 1,308 outstanding warrants in about 10 months.
The group is made up of 23 deputies from the sheriff’s office and constables’ offices of Precincts 1,2,3,5,6 and 8.
“We remain committed to utilizing strategic collaboration and partnerships to combat dangerous criminals and are grateful for the success and support of this task force,” Gonzalez said.
The more than 1,000 warrants cleared by authorities include 31 murder warrants, 205 family violence warrants, 244 assault warrants, and 177 child abuse warrants.
On Tuesday, commissioners approved the program for another year.
“This program is proof that our investments in public safety are working. This first-of-its-kind multi-agency partnership- the sheriff and constables- effectively addresses the warrant backlog of violent cases. This team is working around the clock to track down the most violent offenders who, if remain free, are likely to victimize again and continue to pose a threat to our community,” Garcia said.
The task force received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, and there are currently 53,277 open warrants in the county.
The sheriff’s office shared information about two significant cases the task force resolved.
On April 14, law enforcement started searching for two men wanted for multiple counts of aggravated robberies.
“Marcus Perdoma, 26, and Maycol Perdoma, 20, had been utilizing Facebook Marketplace to deceive victims into meeting them under the pretense of buying a vehicle. Instead, they would confront and rob the victims of their cash and cars. Less than a month later, on May 8, 2023, the wanted individuals were apprehended by the Dallas Police Department and their SWAT Unit,” authorities said.
Joshua Duran, 29, was arrested in relation to a different case on Feb. 2.
The task force was looking for him for outstanding warrants for aggravated robberies with a deadly weapon and felon in possesion of a weapon.
Duran tried to escape from deputies. He allegedly broke into a house, assaulted the homeowner, and took $50. The sheriff’s office said he broke into a second house and assaulted an elderly person, but he was eventually arrested.
“The task force makes our community safer and ensures more expedient justice for victims and their families,” Commissioner Briones said. “I am grateful for the service and partnership of Sheriff Gonzalez, his team, and the participating constables, and am strongly committed to continuing to work closely with them and other justice stakeholders on this collaboration, the Holistic Assistance Response Team, and other data-driven initiatives that take a comprehensive approach to public safety.”
Watch the full news conference in the video player below.