AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has added Carlos Rafael Benitez, 29, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, and a cash reward of up to $5,000 is now being offered for information leading to his capture. Benitez is wanted for failing to appear in court on charges of aggravated assault of a public servant and evading arrest/detention with a vehicle. All tips are guaranteed to be anonymous.

Benitez has been wanted since March 2017, after he failed to appear in court to face charges of aggravated assault of an Amarillo Police Department officer and evading arrest with a vehicle stemming from a traffic stop on Aug. 2, 2016. Benitez has ties to Amarillo (his last known address), and Donley County, including the town of Hedley.

Benitez is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs approximately 170 pounds. He has a tattoo of “BENITEZ” on his back. Benitez has a history of working in the tire service business. For more information or updates in the event of his arrest, see his wanted bulletin at: https://www.dps.texas.gov/texas10mostwanted/MostWanted/fugitiveDetails?id=389.

Texas Crime Stoppers, which is funded by the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, offers cash rewards to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of one of the Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives or sex offenders. In 2017, Texas Crime Stoppers paid $61,000 in total rewards for anonymous tips that resulted in arrests.

To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters MUST provide information to authorities using one of the five following methods:

• Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
• Text the letters “DPS” – followed by your tip – to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone.
• Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about, and then clicking on the link under their picture.
• Submit a Facebook tip at http://www.facebook.com/texas10mostwanted by clicking the “SUBMIT A TIP” link (under the “About” section).
• Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App. The app is currently available for iPhone users on the Apple App Store: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/texas-dps/id902092368?mt=8) and for Android users on Google Play: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microassist.texasdps&hl=en).

All tips are anonymous – regardless of how they are submitted, and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name.

DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive and Sex Offender lists. You can find the current lists – with photos – on the DPS website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/texas10mostwanted/

Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.