Escaped inmate found after 2-hour manhunt across North Fort Worth

Tarrant County deputies found inmate Carlos Romero on the grounds of a mobile home manufacturing company after an extensive search.

FORT WORTH, Texas — The dramatic capture of an escaped inmate after more than two hours on the run in North Fort Worth was recorded by WFAA’s Chopper 8 on Monday afternoon.

Tarrant County deputies found inmate Carlos Romero on the grounds of a mobile home manufacturing company after an extensive search. Authorities said Romero escaped earlier in the day while being transported.

Sheriff Bill Waybourn explained that Romero managed to escape during transport around 11:45 a.m. Monday.

“He is a little fella, and once on the van, the best information I have right now is that he was able to slip out of the cuffs, jimmy the door, and he left the van,” Waybourn said.

The escape triggered a manhunt that lasted more than two hours. Deputies had just picked Romero up at the Green Bay Facility in North Fort Worth before he escaped.

“He was due in felony court on aggravated robbery charges,” Waybourn said.

Multiple agencies assisted Tarrant County deputies, setting up a perimeter and flooding the area with officers as the search intensified. Nearby workers began to notice the heavy police presence and grew concerned about their safety.

“One was parked outside my plant, and I asked him if we needed to shut our gates and asked what was going on,” Christopher Morales said.

Sirens echoed throughout the area as more officers responded to the scene where Romero escaped. Waybourn said bringing Romero back into custody quickly became the department’s top priority.

“It was our top priority of the day to make sure he was back in custody,” Waybourn said.

More than two hours after the escape, deputies located Romero and took him back into custody. Authorities said Romero had removed his inmate clothing and ditched his shoes before being found. Deputies then escorted him to a sheriff’s SUV and secured him in the back seat.

“Obviously, he’s going to have some more charges. I think that he was cold and tired. So he’ll be going back to jail,” Waybourn said.

For nearby workers like Morales, the arrest brought relief after a tense afternoon.

“Thank God our facility is closed in with gates, so you have to have a card or be buzzed in to get in,” Morales said.

No injuries were reported during the manhunt, and deputies confirmed Romero is back in jail. Waybourn said he plans to thoroughly review the escape and capture to learn more about the accounts that led to the incident.