Standoff in El Cenizo Ends With Arrest
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Jun 29, 2012 at 11:23 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Apr 1, 2013
An arrest in a standoff in El Cenizo as a man who held hostages for a while, then held authorities at bay, is taken away in handcuffs.
Twenty-nine-year-old Ruben Arce was involved in a hostage situation in the 500 block of Valdez Street in El Cenizo, TX. Authorities have confirmed that the hostages were released Friday afternoon. It all began as a tip to Border Patrol of a possible stash house. It resulted in a standoff between Arce and law enforcement after it was discovered he had an outstanding warrant.
He was convicted this week in a Webb County court for shooting a local man, but didn't show up for sentencing in the case.
We spoke with Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar after the arrest:
"I feel very happy, very proud, of all the law enforcement agencies coming together. There's hostage negotiators that we've gone to school; we trained our people. The Texas Rangers were also here. We tagged-teamed it where we had both DPS and ourselves (Sheriff's Dept.) Negotiating with Mr. Arce. And again, we used all the resources, all the resources saying from family members to our negotiation personnel that did that for them, and I'm very proud of them. And we're happy that that's the way it turned out. It turned out positive, nobody got hurt. So, we're happy with them."
We're told Arce could now face charges including evading arrest and also kidnapping.
Ruben Arce, was featured in our Pro8News Manhunt Friday today (6/29/12). He became a fugitive after he left the 111th District Court facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was convicted of those charges and others, and despite not being present in court, was sentenced to 55 years in a state prison. According to the Webb County Sheriffs Department, Arce is a member of the Mexican Mafia.
