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McKinney man on Texas Most Wanted list captured in New Mexico
A convicted sex offender who has been a fugitive for more than two years returns to Texas to face all new charges.
By Danny Gallagher, McKinney Courier-Gazette
A former science teacher convicted of child indecency who failed to report to police his whereabouts and earned himself a spot on the Texas Most Wanted list has been found.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit asked New Mexico State Police to investigate Cates’ whereabouts on Dec. 8. The Attorney General sent five team members to initiate the investigation.
Then less than four days later, police discovered Cates living in a trailer park in Sandia Park, N.M. Officers served Cates’ arrest warrant at 8:47 p.m. Friday and took him into custody.
Cates had been on the run from police for two and a half years after a Collin County grand jury convicted him of a third-degree felony charge of failure to register as a sex offender in February of 2007 after he failed to report his whereabouts to the authorities.
Plano police charged Cates in 2001 after an unidentified adult male reported to the authorities he had been arrested while he was a juvenile. It is the policy of the McKinney Courier-Gazette to not release information that would lead to the identity of sexual assault victims.
Cates worked as a science teacher with the Plano Independent School District. The juvenile was staying with Cates on or about June 15, 1989, so he could take him to a church mission trip the following day. The juvenile told police Cates touched him in an inappropriate manner while he was staying with him.
Cates became a registered sex offender in 2003 on three second-degree felony charges of indecency with a child. He entered a not guilty plea and a jury found him guilty on two of the charges and placed him on 10 years probation. The Collin County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to revoke his probation in November of 2006, according to Collin County court records.
Contact Danny Gallagher at dgallagher@acnpapers.com.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
taxpayers wrote on Dec 14, 2008 10:03 AM:
" what kind of people give a sex offender probation?? "
Wonderful wrote on Dec 14, 2008 9:19 PM:
" How nice that he will finally find his way to jail. You would think multiple second degree felony convictions would be good for more than probation the first time around. "
Mr. F wrote on Dec 15, 2008 3:25 PM:
" the article is incorrect. he actually was served with four years in jail. his time got cut in half for "good behavior". i guess two years in jail and having to check in with the state every now and again was just too much for mr. cates to bear. "
mark wrote on Dec 15, 2008 3:47 PM:
" ha ha ha he got what he deserves. I hated that man as a principal at the food lion academy "
Paul wrote on Dec 15, 2008 6:59 PM:
" There's no reason for anyone to gloat over this. I'm definitely not defending what he did, but the man's story, and what happened to those boys, is nothing but a tragedy. Your sarcasm and celebrations ill become you. "
Arjay wrote on Dec 16, 2008 8:54 AM:
" Let's examine paragraph 5 of this article:
Cates has been "on the run for two and a half years" since he failed to register as a sex offender in FEB 2007!
I am very perplexed. Here I am thinking it is only December 2008 and now find out I must have slept through most of 2009 already. "
Cates has been "on the run for two and a half years" since he failed to register as a sex offender in FEB 2007!
I am very perplexed. Here I am thinking it is only December 2008 and now find out I must have slept through most of 2009 already. "
Iran wrote on Dec 31, 2008 12:08 PM:
" As a former teacher and convicted sex offender, he should have left the United States, gone to Iran and started teaching terrorists English and other things a terrorist needs to know. They in turn could teach him weaponry and combat tactics so he could kill US Marines when we finally decide to liberate the Iranian people. Much more honor to be a traitor than a sex offender. The US doesn't want him, he will never succeed here, but in Iran, he could be a hero! Maybe he could even kill one of his former students that went on to become a US soldier! Or.. he could live under a bridge in Florida with the other sex offenders... the choice is clear. "
The One Who Knows wrote on Jan 3, 2009 9:39 PM:
" A Jury gave this animal probation! A jury of his peers. They gave himn probation on 2 of the 3 counts. He was sentenced to prison for the 3rd count. He got out of prison on good behavior after 2 years. He then began to serve parole and probation. He could not handle the accountability and responsibility so he split to New Mexico. Thank GOD the cops found him. I hope he gets LIFE now! "
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