by | Published
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has announced the capture of two high-profile fugitives from the state’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender list. Both men were apprehended within 24 hours of each other following intensive investigations in Central and West Texas.
Melvin Lee Kennon, 43, was taken into custody on January 6, 2026, following a coordinated traffic stop on IH-10 in Seguin (Guadalupe County).
The Arrest: DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Special Agents from San Antonio worked in tandem with Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to intercept Kennon while he was in transit.
Criminal History: In 2007, Kennon was convicted of the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl and served six years in prison.
Wanted Status: He had been a fugitive since September 2025, when a warrant was issued in Wilson County after he stopped complying with mandatory sex offender registration requirements.
Baldamar Palacio Martinez, 50, was arrested on January 7, 2026, ending a months-long search by local and state authorities.
The Arrest: Martinez was located and arrested at a business in San Angelo. The operation was a collaboration between DPS CID Special Agents and the San Angelo Police Department.
Violent History: Martinez has a criminal record dating back to 1997, when he was convicted of the Aggravated Sexual Assault of a 9-year-old girl and sentenced to 20 years.
Pattern of Non-Compliance: Since his parole in 2015, Martinez has been convicted multiple times for failing to register and evading arrest. Like Kennon, he had been wanted since September 2025 for his latest registration violation in Tom Green County.
Authorities confirmed that no Crime Stoppers rewards will be paid in either case, as the captures were the result of law enforcement investigative leads rather than public tips.
