By Patrick George
American-Statesman
AUSTIN, Texas — As the search continued Monday for two men who escaped from a Bastrop County federal prison, authorities said they obtained security camera footage of one of the men at an Austin grocery store and think he may be headed to Mexico.
Adan Chavez, 53, who had been sentenced to 30 years in prison for cocaine and weapons convictions, and Leandro Luna, 52, who had been sentenced to 10 years for marijuana importation, walked out of a low-security area of the Bastrop federal prison Friday, officials said. They have been on the loose since.
Hector Gomez , supervisory deputy for the U.S. Marshals Service, said Monday that officials discovered an abandoned Ford Crown Victoria government car at the H-E-B at Interstate 35 and East William Cannon Drive . A review of security camera footage from about 9 p.m. Friday showed Luna stepping out of the car, which Gomez said was from the Bastrop prison and may have been used in the escape, and into a blue or silver Chevrolet pickup.
The truck’s license plate could not be seen on the video, Gomez said. The video did not show Chavez, he said.
Investigators have learned that Luna has relatives in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, which is near Del Rio.
“It’s not far-fetched to say he could be there now,” Gomez said. “We feel pretty certain he’s not in the Austin area.”
Authorities have fewer leads on Chavez, Gomez said. He has no relatives in the Central Texas area and also may be headed to Mexico. Both men are U.S. citizens, so if they are caught south of the border they probably will be deported quickly, Gomez said.
It’s typical for investigators to not release information about fugitives for the first 24 to 48 hours after an escape because during that time, they have the “element of surprise” and can track them down based on who their associates and families are, Gomez said. Once that window passes, investigators enlist the public’s help, but he said that publicity often causes fugitives to go deeper into hiding, he said.
“We are doing everything we possibly can,” he said.
Luna is described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 334 pounds. Officials say he has gray hair, brown eyes and a scar on his abdomen.
Officials said Chavez is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. He has graying black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force at 916-5393 .
Copyright 2009 American-Statesman