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Fugitive Luis Calderon, a suspect in the attempted murder of a woman during the summer of 1991, has been incarcerated, according to Galveston County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) officials.
For 30 years, Calderon had managed to evade law enforcement after allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend, Diane Sanchez, with a knife after Independence Day that year, according to the Galveston County Daily News.
Authorities told the publication Calderon, now 56 years old, is facing charges over the incident in which he allegedly left the then 28-year-old Sanchez bleeding along I-45.
Calderon posted a $10,000 bond after authorities charged him and then fled the U.S. for El Salvador, where police there arrested him in 2019.
His return to the Galveston County Jail was the culmination of the longtime work of a now-retired GCSO investigator who works part time for the agency looking at cold cases.
“We couldn’t allow ourselves to breathe until he was actually on the plane," Lt. Tommy Hansen told the Galveston County Daily News.
According to the publication, though Calderon ended up in El Salvadorian custody, bureaucratic red tape prevented his turnover to the U.S. for at least a year.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) helped in the extradition.
“This sends a clear message to any fugitives of the law: You will be brought to justice," Cruz said in a statement issued by his office.
Galveston County 212th District Court Judge Patricia Grady set a $1 million bond for Calderon after county prosecutors objected to the original $70,000, the Galveston County Daily News reported.
As of this writing, Calderon is still in the Galveston County Jail.
Sanchez's daughter, April Rojas, spoke for her mother regarding Calderon's return to the county in handcuffs.
"It's been very traumatizing," Rojas told Houston CBS affiliate KHOU. "We're just happy that now she finally gets to have some closure and hopefully she can sleep better at night."