HARLINGEN — One of Texas’ most wanted sex offenders is back in custody following his arrest this month.
John Anthony Rangel, 31, was arrested in Harlingen on Oct. 22 by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Special Agents.
DPS Special Agents coordinated with Texas Highway Patrol to conduct a traffic stop after Rangel was seen leaving a house.
According to a press release from the DPS, Rangel is from the Harlingen area.
On Sept. 30, Rangel was added to Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders List.
He’s been wanted since May 2019, when the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a warrant for his arrest for a parole violation.
In Oct. 2020, the DPS Criminal Investigation Division in Brownsville issued a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender.
In August 2021, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office also issued a warrant on the same charge.
In 2017, Rangel was convicted of three counts of indecency with a child by exposure for an incident involving a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to five years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) prison and was released on parole in September 2018.
In 2013, he was convicted of two counts of burglary of a building and was sentenced to nine months in a TDCJ prison.
Texas Crime Stoppers is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division and offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives or Sex Offenders.
According to the press release, Rangel’s arrest on Oct. 22 was not the result of a tip so no reward will be paid.
So far this year, DPS and other agencies have arrested 24 of Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders, including nine gang members and 12 sex offenders. Additionally, $54,000 in rewards has been paid for tips that yielded arrests.
For information on how to submit a tip or to view current Texas’ 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Sex Offenders lists, visit www.dps.texas.gov .
