Escape of a Houston inmate: a man allegedly jumped into the bayou to escape

HOUSTON — Authorities spent Thursday afternoon and evening scouring downtown Houston in search of an inmate who was able to escape after a court appearance.

Officials with the Harris County Constable’s Office 1 said Nigel Thomas Sanders, 35, jumped into the bayou when he escaped after an afternoon court appearance, although during At a news conference just before 7 p.m., Harris County Sheriff’s Office officials said they could not confirm he entered the water.

Law enforcement used crime scene tape to block off several sections of downtown while they searched for Sanders, who was described as being about 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. They said he should be considered dangerous and don’t approach him if you see him. They also said they believed he was armed with a knife and posed a threat to the community.

“We believe he had a knife,” HCSO Deputy Chief Phillip Bosquez said.

Search efforts were focused around downtown, but officials said they believed Sanders was passing through and did not frequent any known neighborhoods.

“We believe this is a dangerous individual and therefore there is still a threat to the community at this time,” Bosquez said. “At this point he’s living a transient life, that’s what we have, so we don’t have a specific address or neighborhood that he would frequent.”

According to court records, Sanders is currently facing three counts of burglary and illegal possession of a weapon as part of a felony charge.

Houston police said he was last seen wearing orange pants and a black shirt. They had boats in the bayou to help with the search.

HCSO officials said Sanders appeared in court at 1301 Franklin Street and was able to escape on his way back to the jail around 3:30 p.m.

They said he got into a woman’s car and pointed a knife at her, but the car crashed on Commerce Street and Sanders fled.

“He jumped in that car and it destroyed it in just a few feet,” Bosquez said.

Authorities said that was the last time Sanders was seen on camera.

“We have multiple resources from the sheriff’s office looking for this individual,” Bosquez said.

Authorities said the woman who was held at knifepoint is OK and works at the Harris County Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Justice Center.

HCSO officials said that after receiving the report that an escape had occurred, they closed the jail and counted the inmates. That’s when they realized Sanders was missing.

The Harris County Constable’s Office handles security at the courthouse and was therefore leading the investigation. The Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office, among other law enforcement agencies, assisted in the search. Anyone with information on Sanders’ whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg released this statement about the employee who was caught in the middle of the situation:

“Earlier today, one of our employees was held against her will by a knife-wielding man who apparently escaped from official custody. We are grateful and grateful that she was not physically injured during this incident.

“The general public should be extremely vigilant as this man has not yet been apprehended, but we are confident that law enforcement will be able to find and apprehend the suspect.

“Once he is arrested, we hope to prosecute this defendant and seek justice in this case.”

Here is the update provided by HCSO officials just before 7 p.m. Thursday:

The University of Houston-Downtown announced it went into secure mode Thursday around 4:35 p.m. due to police activity.

The university posted this message on social media.

A UHD social media post ordered staff members to enter, lock doors and avoid windows. According to university officials, no students were on campus at the time, but staff members present were asked to follow instructions.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article reported that Sanders had escaped from the Harris County Jail, but authorities corrected that and said he was able to flee after his court appearance. Officials also initially said it was a deputy prosecutor who had been held at knifepoint, but later said it was a staff member with a different title.