Abel Morin, Jr. was convicted of raping a woman and her daughter (his neighbors) in 2006. A week ago today, he was in the midst of being transferred from Duval County to Jim Hogg County Jail when he came upon the unlocked door. He went on to hot-wire a U-Haul truck and used it to flee to San Diego (Texas) where his family lives; investigators found the truck near a creek in the town this weekend....

Texas state troopers at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) proudly announced yesterday that they managed to seize a record number of drugs in 2006. All told, an estimated $335.9 million worth of drugs were confiscated during routine traffic stops. Most of the loot, as you can see in the slideshow above, was as cleverly hidden as possible, often stashed in tar machines, wrapped around tires, or stored in the axles of pickup trucks.......

The Texas Observer is releasing a fascinating story this week about a new intelligence database called the “Texas Data Exchange” (aka, “TDEx”). The stated purpose of this database is to catch criminals, hunt down terrorists and allow law enforcement agencies throughout Texas to share valuable information. Close to $4 million has been spent so far on this behemoth, and it’s already chock full of records. Now, the existence of this database is hardly news; such......

Earlier this week, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers stumbled upon a mammoth marijuana shipment bound for Houston. Officers stopped the tanker truck that was carrying the stash during a routine traffic check in Jim Hogg County, perhaps because of the vehicle's "fictitious markings." They were probably shocked to discover that the truck contained nearly 9,000 pounds of weed. The driver, Reynaldo Hovey Jr of South Texas, now faces federal drug possession charges.......

From the Statesman Blotter: The Texas state Capitol has been evacuated this afternoon after authorities received a threat that a bomb had been placed in an underground garage, DPS officials said. Update: An official with the Texas Department of Public Safety informs us that authorities have begun allowing folks back into the Capitol building, and that a more thorough investigation is already underway.......

We saw this horribly sad piece of news on News 8 Austin this morning. A female cyclist was struck and killed by two automobiles yesterday on Bee Caves Rd. at the 360 crossing. Witnesses say a van pulling a trailer clipped the woman who fell from her bike and was then run over by a grey car. The car continued down the road. Disgusting! The Texas Department of Public Safety says they will be......

If you drive a pick-em-up truck, you best watch your back. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the top three makes of automobile stolen in 2005 were all pick-up trucks. We are not sure exactly what the allure to trucks is or if maybe they are just easier to steal or if they are so ubiquitous in the Lone Star State that crooks feel they can go less-noticed in a stolen one......

You might want to think twice before starting that ignition after tossing back a few at your holiday parties this season - the police department announced yesterday that they're increasing traffic enforcement efforts for the next few weeks as Austin prepares to celebrate the winter holidays. Specifically targeted are "drunken, aggressive and erratic drivers," who were largely responsible for last winter's increased traffic fatality count - 8 occured between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.......