A convicted child sex offender who fled Colorado during the final day of his trial was captured in Chaparral, New Mexico, on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Jorge Campos, 42, an illegal alien who was previously released on $100,000 bail, allegedly cut off his GPS ankle monitor and threw it in a dumpster before racing toward the Mexican border.
His run for freedom ended just 25 minutes from the border after a Denver news viewer spotted him on a bus and alerted authorities.
The capture currently stands as a primary victory for community vigilance and law enforcement coordination.
Its primary mandate involves the extradition of Campos back to Douglas County, where a jury convicted him in absentia on five counts of "sexual assault of a child, pattern of abuse."
“He was about 25 minutes from the border, and this good Samaritan tip results in all the good guys convening on this gas station,” District Attorney George Brauchler stated during a Monday press conference.
_ _“They grab him up.”
The case will also absorb and expand upon the heated debate surrounding bail reform and the monitoring of high-risk defendants.
A critical component of the outrage stems from the fact that Campos was allowed to remain free on bond despite the severity of the charges involving an 11-year-old victim.
One official cited the "unpredictable and dangerous" nature of allowing a flight risk access to the border region as the primary driver for a review of local bond protocols.
One of the most immediate challenges for the 23rd Judicial District is ensuring the victim, who testified during the four-day trial, finally sees justice served.
Observers cited the "remarkable strength" of the young girl as the primary reason the prosecution secured a conviction on all counts.
_ _“She was violated, villainized, and voiceless,” Deputy District Attorney Brynn Chase remarked, noting the unimaginable trauma she faced while her attacker attempted to evade the law.
The establishment of this arrest follows a high-speed investigation that utilized security camera footage showing Campos leaving a New Mexico hotel.
While the specific new charges for his flight from justice are still being finalized, the emphasis remains on his return to Colorado for sentencing.
Director-level investigators pledged to monitor the extradition process closely to prevent any further escape attempts.
As Campos awaits his return to Douglas County, the question remains: “How did a convicted predator get the chance to cut his monitor and nearly cross the border?”, a question that will likely trigger a massive shift in how Colorado handles high-stakes sexual assault cases.