Retiree Nabs 250 Felony Fugitives

He’s not patrolling the streets, but one volunteer with the El Paso County District Attorney’s office is taking felons off the streets.

Alan didn’t want us to use his full name, and there is a reason for that. He has located some 250 fugitives facing charges for felony crimes. Alan did this as a volunteer working two days a week for four years in a small space at the district attorney’s office.

“I believe in responsibility and people being responsible for their actions. It frustrates me when I see people running from the law,” said Alan.

Alan works cold cases that took place from 1987 to 2009. During that time there have been 110,000 felony cases in El Paso County. Some 4,500 of those are still open warrant, meaning 4 percent are considered fugitives.

Leaders with the volunteer program for the district attorney’s office said Alan’s work is crucial to chipping away at the number of fugitives who keep victims awake at night.

“They probably thought their case has long been unsolved, and now they have someone working behind the scenes trying to find where the fugitive went,” said Gwen Stein, the volunteer program manager.

Alan is a retired software engineer, and is the person who established and maintains the “Most Wanted” page on the El Paso County District Attorney’s website. He locates criminals using the internet, making calls, following up on leads and then alerts police.

So, to all the fugitives out there, you can run, but Alan is working hard to find you.