During the month of November, tips provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety that lead to the arrest of a wanted MS-13 gang member could result in a $10,000 reward.
Carlos Alberto Gonzales-Barahona, 26, is a Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive wanted in the June 18 murder of his estranged girlfriend in northwest Houston and subsequent kidnapping of a motorist at gunpoint in Brazoria County. DPS said Gonzales-Barahona abandoned the truck off U.S. 59 in Wharton County on June 20, and believe he may have fled into Mexico.
Harris County authorities have charged Gonzales-Barahona with murder and Brazoria County authorities have charged him with aggravated kidnapping.
Gonzales-Barahona is affiliated with the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, and DPS said he "is an El Salvadorian national and has been deported multiple times from the United States," including in 2013. DPS describes him as 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He has a tattoo of a star on his left elbow; "HOUSTON" on the back of his left arm; "TEXAS" on the back of his right arm; "GONZALES" on his upper back; "281" on his left arm; "713" on his right arm; and other tattoos on his abdomen, back, chest, legs, arms, wrists and right ear.
Crime Stoppers of Houston has also offered a reward up to $5,000 for information leading to the suspect's arrest, meaning the reward is up to $15,000.
To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities using one of the five following methods:
- Call the Crime Stopper hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
- Text the letters "DPS"--followed by your tip--to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone.
- Submit a web tip through the DPS website be selecting the fugitive you have information about and then click on the link under their picture.
- Submit a Facebook tip at https://www.facebook.com/texas10mostwanted by clicking the "SUBMIT A TIP" link under the "About" section.
- Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App. The app is currently available for Iphone users on the Apple App Store: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/texas-dps/id902092368?mt=8) and for Anrdoid users on Google Play: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microassist.texasdps&hl=en)
All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous. Gonzales-Barahona is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities advise no one should attempt to capture him.