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Authorities near Houston are searching for a man who they say was mistakenly released from jail early Sunday morning.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, 36-year-old Troy Dugas was erroneously released around 4:30 a.m. on Aug. 17 after being held in the Harris County Jail.
“Preliminary indications are that jail staff did not properly document his state prison sentence in his file, leading to the mistaken assumption that Dugas was eligible for release once his Harris County charges were dismissed,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release Monday.
Dugas had been sentenced to five years in state prison for assaulting a family member in Fort Bend County and two years for evading arrest in Brazoria County, deputies said. Dugas had also been in the Harris County Jail since Aug. 14 on additional local charges that were later dismissed.
Authorities described Dugas as a Black male, 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 215 pounds, with a tattoo on his neck. Officials are urging anyone who sees him to call 911.
“A thorough investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances that led to Dugas’ erroneous release from jail,” the sheriff’s office said.
Second mistaken prisoner release at Harris County Jail in 2025
This is not the first time an inmate has been mistakenly released from the Harris County Jail, according to CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston.
On Feb. 20, Justin Tompkins, 21, who was facing capital murder charges and being held on $750,000 bail since December 2022, was released due to a case of mistaken identity. Jail staff confused him with another inmate of the same name, authorities said.
The error was discovered the next day, prompting a search by deputies.
Tompkins voluntarily surrendered about 24 hours later, at 8:40 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21.
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