Francisco Javier Garza, 34, was arrested Thursday by a Paris police officer who recognized him as a convicted sex offender who had moved to Paris without registering his status as a sex offender.
It was one of six arrests made by Paris police on Thursday. Four people were taken into custody for Class C traffic warrants and another person was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Officers also responded to reports of two burglaries of an automobile, one burglary of a residence, two thefts, and other minor calls.
Officer Curtis Graham said that due to an ongoing investigation, local officers had information that Garza had absconded from Harris County and was currently living in Paris.
Graham said he recognized Garza inside a Paris store, but when he attempted to make contact, Garza locked himself inside a restroom.
The officer said when contact was made and Garza was asked for identification, the man gave another name but was later identified as Garza.
After arrest, Garza was booked into the Lamar County Jail at 1:33 a.m. on Friday.
Jail records show he was previously arrested in Paris in November 2009 on charges of failing to register as a sex offender and possession of less than two ounces of marijuana.
Charles Richards Charles Richards moved to Paris in 2004 after retiring from a 40-year career in journalism – the last 26 years as a news writer and sports writer with The Associated Press in Dallas and Washington, D.C. In mid-2004, The Paris News coaxed him out of retirement, and he began covering the police, court and regional beat for The Paris News. Then in early 2005, he was switched to coverage of a sharply divided Paris City Council. He was appointed by the City Council in 2006 to the 12-member City Charter Review Commission, which extensively rewrote the outmoded document. His writing awards include two first-place awards in statewide competition for feature writing. The most recent was his 2005 story on a Paris doctor’s startling use of leeches in a successful attempt to re-attach a man’s severed ear. Over his career, Richards’ interview subjects include Alabama Gov. George Wallace, President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, David Koresh, Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali and numerous other political and sports figures. He is an alumnus of Texas Tech, where he was editor of the school newspaper. He lives in Paris with his wife, Barbara, who is retired after 30 years as a teacher and high school counselor.
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