Texas Prison Escapee Considered Armed And Dangerous

Cops say Joshua Duane Barnes is no stranger to the prison system.  Barnes -- who police say has already escaped from prison twice before -- shimmied out of University of Texas Medical Branch while he was there being treated.

Authorities say around 9:30 p.m. on September 19, 2009, Barnes carved through two brick walls leading to a stairwell in the Galveston hospital, then went up to the rooftop where he used bed sheets to make his way down the structure to freedom.

Police also think Barnes then stole a Hyundai Sonata a few blocks from the hospital, where he had been admitted for injuries stemming from a fight with a fellow inmate.

Cops say Barnes then drove to Dallas where they say he broke into a home in the 100 block of South Plymouth Road.  They say he threatened to kill the woman inside, tied her up and locked her in the bathroom.  Authorities say he fled in the woman’s 2009 white Chrysler PT Cruiser after stealing some money and her clothes.

“He has an M.O. of burglarizing homes and looking for weapons when he burglarizes them.  We have no record of any stolen weapons at this time, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t already burglarized someone’s home.  We consider him to be armed and dangerous,” Captain Bruce Toney of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told AMW.

Police say Joshua Barnes could be anywhere, but has family in Amarillo, Texas.  They say he stands 5’8” tall and weighs around 180 lbs.  Cops say Barnes has sandy brown hair, green eyes, and his face is severely beaten and battered.  They say he has a tribal tattoo on his left chest and has the word “jail” tattooed inside his left ankle.

Authorities say Barnes was last accounted for around noon on September 21, 2009 and could still be driving that same white Chrysler PT Cruiser with the Texas license plate “LYS-388.”

If you’ve seen Joshua Duane Barnes, call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

Remember, you can remain anonymous. 

Third Time Not A Charm For Prison Escapee

The search for three-time prison escapee Joshua Duane Barnes is over.

Cops in Irving, Texas say Barnes was arrested around 10 a.m. on September 23, 2009 after being on the run for over four days.

Police say they received a call about a suspicious man hanging out in a nearby park.  They say the man took off running when officers tried to approach him.

Authorities say Barnes then barricaded himself in a vacant house before surrendering peacefully.

Cops say Barnes was serving a 35-year sentence in Galveston for five counts of burglary, two counts of escape and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.  They say Barnes now faces felony escape charges.