MILAM COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — A wanted fugitive, who had been on the run for over a week following a shooting incident near Buckholts, is now in custody, thanks to a collaborative law enforcement effort.
Fugitive Apprehended
Cody Villarreal, 38, was captured through a joint operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The Milam County Sheriff's Office credits the Special Operations group, Criminal Investigation Division, and Bell County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Group. Villarreal had been actively sought since late August in connection with a domestic violence shooting.
According to authorities, a wealth of tips and information from the community played an instrumental role in leading to his successful capture.
Villarreal faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-family violence in connection with the August shooting incident.
Timeline of Events
The Initial Incident - August 27
The case began on Tuesday morning, August 27, when Milam County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a shooting call just after 11 a.m. in the 1800 block of CR 104 off FM 1915, near Buckholts.
Deputies arrived to find 24-year-old Grace Durbin suffering from a single gunshot wound. Durbin was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and told investigators she had been shot by her boyfriend, Cody Villarreal.
Extensive Search Operation
As additional units arrived on scene, law enforcement established a perimeter around the property and attempted to make contact with Villarreal. Despite multiple attempts by negotiators to communicate with the suspect, there was no response.
The search operation escalated with the arrival of specialized units, including:
- Williamson County Sheriff's Office SWAT team
- Mobile command unit
- Williamson County armored vehicle
Authorities employed various tactics to locate Villarreal, including:
- Drone surveillance of buildings
- Systematic searches on foot, by vehicle, and from the air
- Tactical entry into structures on the property
Search Complications
The operation faced complications when a nearby property owner reported a suspicious person on a large trailer in a field overlooking the suspect's property. This led to the diversion of resources to investigate what ultimately proved to be an unrelated individual.
"The diversion of important resources extended the timing of this incident and search," the Milam County Sheriff's Office noted in their press release.
After the false lead was resolved, deputies returned to conduct a more thorough search of the original property. The location was declared secure by 5 p.m., but Villarreal remained at large.
Background and Prior Incidents
This shooting was not the first violent incident between the two individuals. Earlier in April, on the same property, Durbin had shot Villarreal in a separate domestic violence incident. Durbin had active warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-family violence related to that earlier shooting.
Following her treatment and release from the hospital on August 27, Durbin was arrested on the outstanding warrant from the April incident.
Both individuals were known to law enforcement prior to these incidents.
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