TexArrest

  • TexArrest Update #3 — Data Scraping Breakthrough: Tyler Technologies Powering Texas County Jail Systems

    As development continues on the TexArrest backend infrastructure, work has been progressing on the next major county data source: Williamson County. While reviewing the structure of their publicly accessible jail records and preparing the corresponding data ingestion schema, an interesting detail appeared in the footer:

    “Tyler Technologies.”

    That small detail turned out to be an important discovery.

    🔍 A Williamson County Discovery With Statewide Impact

    While building the Williamson County dataset — specifically the data ingestion and schema-mapping layer — it became clear that the county’s public access portal is powered by Tyler Technologies, a vendor used by a large number of Texas jurisdictions.

    Further review showed that many counties publish their jail and court information through nearly identical Tyler-based public access portals.

    This consistency significantly accelerates multi-county expansion.

    Because these counties expose similar public record formats, TexArrest can apply shared data models and normalization rules, reducing the time required to bring additional counties online.

    🗂️ Texas Counties Using Tyler-Based Public Access Systems

    The following counties are known to publish jail or court information through Tyler-powered public access portals:

    • Hays County – Courts / Jail Records
    • Taylor County – Jail / Court Public Access
    • Wise County – Jail Records
    • Anderson County – Courts & Public Access
    • Galveston County – Public Access Portal
    • Bastrop County – Records Search
    • Williamson County – Inmate Lookup (in progress)
    • Hidalgo County – Courts / Jail Records
    • Fort Bend County – Odyssey Public Access
    • Collin County – Public Access (currently integrated)
    • Webb County – Jail Records Portal

    This opens the door for efficient, standardized expansion across Texas.

    📸 Platform Focus: Counties With Published Mugshots

    Going forward, TexArrest is prioritizing counties that publicly display inmate mugshots alongside booking information.

    When a county publishes:
    ✔️ an inmate photo
    ✔️ charges or offense descriptions
    ✔️ arrest date
    ✔️ booking date

    TexArrest focuses on indexing and organizing that publicly available information.

    Collin County is the first live example of this approach, offering full mugshot display alongside offense and booking details.

    Future Data Enhancements

    Where publicly available, TexArrest may expand supported data fields to include:

    • Bond amounts
    • Release dates
    • Case numbers
    • Magistrate notes
    • Booking history

    This positions TexArrest as a centralized reference point for publicly available jail information across Texas.

    🛰️ One Place to Check Public Jail Rosters Across Texas

    Instead of navigating dozens of county websites — each with different layouts and search tools — TexArrest aims to provide a single, unified interface for viewing publicly published jail and booking records.

    If arrest and booking information is made publicly available by a county and includes an inmate photo, TexArrest works to organize and present that information clearly.

    As more Tyler-based counties are added, this goal becomes increasingly achievable.

    💡 Why This Accelerates Development

    Because many counties publish records using similar public access platforms, TexArrest can reuse:

    • Shared data schemas
    • Consistent normalization and validation rules
    • Common record structures
    • Standardized offense classification logic

    This significantly reduces the engineering effort required for each additional county.

    🔧 Current Status

    • Travis County ✔️
    • Collin County ✔️ (mugshots and roster integrated)
    • Williamson County 🔄 (data normalization and validation in testing)
    • Taxonomy expansion planned following Williamson County stabilization
    • Tyler-based counties mapped for staged rollout

    🚀 What’s Next for TexArrest

    • Finalize Williamson County integration
    • Begin staged expansion into additional Tyler-based counties
    • Refine offense classification for cross-county consistency
    • Support additional public data fields where available
    • Introduce unified multi-county search tools
    • Continue working toward Texas-wide public arrest visibility

    TexArrest is entering a major growth phase, and this discovery significantly accelerates statewide expansion.

    More updates coming soon.

  • TexArrest Update #2 — Mobile App Roadmap & Development Status

    As TexArrest continues to expand, this update outlines the current mobile app roadmap, backend platform development, and the overall technical direction of the project.

    📱 iOS & Android App Plans

    TexArrest is evolving into a full multi-platform ecosystem. The long-term goal is to release official TexArrest applications for both iOS and Android, designed to provide streamlined access to publicly available arrest and booking information.

    • Frequently updated arrest feeds
    • County- and city-level browsing
    • Texas Most Wanted directories
    • Optional push notifications for major updates
    • Saved and offline viewing (planned)
    • Clean, mobile-optimized record and offense browsing

    The mobile applications will mirror core site functionality initially, with app-exclusive features introduced over time.

    🧱 Full-Stack Platform Development

    Significant backend engineering is currently underway to ensure the platform scales reliably across counties and devices. Active development areas include:

    • Enhancing TexArrest’s data intake and normalization pipeline
    • Expanding and refining the offense taxonomy and classification system
    • Building secure API infrastructure to support mobile applications
    • Improving automation for publishing, categorization, and data consistency
    • Increasing platform resilience, validation, and accuracy safeguards

    Once backend structures are fully standardized across counties, mobile development and feature rollout will accelerate.

    🏢 LLC & Developer Account Status

    TexArrest operates under ByteOmen LLC, a fully registered and active Texas limited liability company.

    This structure provides:

    • A formal operating entity for TexArrest
    • Clear separation between the platform and its developer
    • Appropriate protection given the public-record nature of the information published
    • Operational safeguards related to publishing sensitive public data

    With the LLC in place, the next steps include:

    • Applying to the Apple Developer Program under the LLC
    • Completing Google Play Developer business verification
    • Finalizing branding, compliance documentation, and platform policies required for app store distribution

    This foundation ensures TexArrest launches as a legitimate, compliant, and professionally operated software publisher.

    🔀 ByteOmen Project Scope

    TexArrest is one of several active software projects under ByteOmen LLC, including:

    • Invoicinator
    • GameDayBaby
    • Additional internal tools and automation systems

    While development cycles rotate across projects, TexArrest remains the primary focus due to its growth, complexity, and public interest.

    ⏳ What This Means for the Timeline

    • Mobile applications remain planned, with backend stability as the current priority
    • LLC completion allows Apple and Google onboarding to proceed
    • County expansion and taxonomy standardization remain key milestones
    • Once backend systems are unified, cross-platform app development will move quickly

    Additional milestones and progress updates will be posted here as development continues.

  • TexArrest Update #1 — Launching the Site Updates Page

    This page serves as the central place where I document what’s happening behind the scenes at TexArrest — site improvements, new features, platform stability updates, data enhancements, and upcoming tools as the project continues to evolve.

    Over the past few weeks, TexArrest has grown from a simple concept into a fully operating platform that now includes:

    • Frequently updated public arrest and booking records
    • Structured offense taxonomy with standardized categories
    • Featured mugshot and record highlighting system
    • Texas Most Wanted profile expansion
    • A companion application under development to support data intake, publishing workflows, and automation

    County Coverage Progress

    • ✅ Travis County is fully indexed and live
    • ✅ Collin County is completed and live
    • 🔄 Williamson County is currently in progress

    For Williamson County, we’ve established a reliable baseline for collecting and normalizing publicly available booking information, and we’re actively validating accuracy, consistency, and long-term stability.

    The booking data format used by Williamson County is shared by many other Texas counties. Once finalized, this allows TexArrest to expand coverage more efficiently while maintaining consistent formatting and classification standards across jurisdictions.

    Known Issue: Offense Taxonomy Classification

    There is a known offense classification issue affecting how certain charges are labeled between counties:

    • Travis County publishes offense descriptions using one format
    • Collin County uses a different labeling structure

    The current taxonomy rules were initially tuned for Travis County, which means some Collin County offenses may be temporarily categorized in less-than-ideal groupings.

    A broader taxonomy refinement is planned after Williamson County is finalized, allowing for standardized offense handling across all supported counties.

    What’s New

    • 🚀 Launched the TexArrest Updates page
    • 🔎 Expanded Texas Most Wanted profiles
    • 🧩 Improved offense taxonomy visual presentation
    • 📱 Continued development of the TexArrest backend application and publishing pipeline

    What’s Next

    • 📸 Automated mugshot processing and featured image assignment
    • 🗂 Faster expansion into additional Texas counties using standardized county templates
    • 📊 Internal analytics dashboard for growth and performance metrics
    • ⚙️ Improved data normalization, duplicate detection, and error handling
    • 🔔 Optional notification features for record updates and platform changes

    TexArrest continues to grow, and this page will remain an ongoing timeline of platform development and improvements. More updates coming soon.

  • Texas Most Wanted: Carlos Jose Ayala Morales — Convicted Sex Offender Wanted for Attempted Indecency with a Child (Reward Up to $5,000)

    Carlos Jose Ayala Morales, a 44-year-old convicted sex offender, is currently listed among the Texas DPS 10 Most Wanted Fugitives following a February 10, 2025 warrant issued out of Harris County, Texas, for Attempted Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact.

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  • Texas Most Wanted: Stephen Joseph Vess — Fugitive Wanted for Sexual Assault of a Child (Reward Up to $3,000)

    Stephen Joseph Vess, a 39-year-old fugitive, is currently listed on the Texas DPS 10 Most Wanted for Sexual Assault of a Child and Possession of Child Pornography. Vess has longstanding ties to Rockwall County and the city of Mabank, Texas, and is considered armed and dangerous.

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  • Texas Most Wanted: Ernest Christopher Nathan — Murder Suspect with Multi-State Criminal History (Reward Up to $5,000)

    Ernest Christopher Nathan, a 45-year-old fugitive, is wanted by Texas authorities following a Failure to Appear warrant issued on February 29, 2024, tied to an original Murder – Firearm charge. Nathan was previously arrested by Houston Police Department for Murder and Evading Arrest with a Vehicle on October 4, 2022, but was released on bond the next day and has since absconded.

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  • Texas Most Wanted: Raul Herrera Jr. — Violent Offender with Aggravated Sexual Assault & Weapons Warrants (Reward Up to $7,500)

    Raul Herrera Jr., a 53-year-old fugitive from the Rio Grande Valley, is currently listed among the Texas DPS Top 10 Most Wanted. He is wanted on multiple Hidalgo County felony warrants, including Aggravated Sexual Assault, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Assault Causing Bodily Injury, and Violation of Bond/Protective Order.

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  • Texas Most Wanted: Elijah Turner Reyes — Murder Suspect & Documented Piru Gang Member (Up to $7,500 Reward)

    Elijah Turner Reyes, a 24-year-old Texas fugitive, is currently listed on the Texas DPS Top 10 Most Wanted following a May 22, 2025 murder warrant issued in El Paso, Texas. Reyes is a documented Piru (Bloods) gang member with a violent criminal history that includes Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Assault of a Pregnant Person, and Assault of a Peace Officer/Judge.

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  • Texas Most Wanted: Miguel Ángel Gomez — Murder Suspect & Convicted Sex Offender (Up to $7,500 Reward)

    Miguel Ángel Gomez, a 51-year-old Texas fugitive, is currently one of the Texas DPS Top 10 Most Wanted and is sought on a 2022 Murder warrant issued out of Harris County, Texas. Gomez is also wanted for a Parole Violation stemming from his prior conviction for Sexual Assault of a Child.

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  • Understanding Arrest Records

    Arrest records are a form of public information created when a person is taken into custody by a law enforcement agency. These records document a booking event, not a final legal outcome. Understanding what an arrest record represents — and what it does not — is essential when reviewing criminal justice information.

    What Is an Arrest Record?

    An arrest record reflects that an individual was detained and processed by a law enforcement agency. It typically includes identifying information, the date of arrest, the arresting agency, and the charge descriptions provided at the time of booking.

    Importantly, an arrest record does not determine guilt or innocence. It documents that an arrest occurred, not how a case was resolved.

    Arrest vs. Charge vs. Conviction

    These terms are often confused but have distinct meanings:

    • Arrest: A person is taken into custody by law enforcement.
    • Charge: An alleged offense recorded during the booking process.
    • Conviction: A legal determination of guilt made by a court.

    An arrest may result in charges being filed, modified, or dismissed. A conviction occurs only if a court formally adjudicates the case. Many arrests do not result in convictions.

    Why Arrest Records Are Public in Texas

    In Texas, arrest records are generally considered public information because they are created by government agencies in the course of official duties. Transparency in law enforcement activities is a foundational principle of public records laws.

    Public access to arrest records allows the public to understand law enforcement activity, monitor government processes, and access historical information. This access exists independently of the outcome of any related court case.

    Booking Information vs. Case Outcomes

    Arrest records are created at the time of booking, often before a case has been reviewed by prosecutors or the courts. As a result, booking information may differ from later court filings or final dispositions.

    TexArrest publishes booking events obtained from publicly available government sources. These records do not represent convictions, sentencing decisions, or the current status of a case.

    Dismissed, Pending, or Reduced Charges

    Cases may be dismissed, remain pending, or result in reduced charges for many reasons, including evidentiary issues, procedural matters, or prosecutorial discretion. These outcomes do not retroactively change the fact that an arrest occurred.

    Because arrest records document historical booking events, they may remain publicly accessible even if a case is later dismissed or resolved without a conviction.

    Accuracy and Corrections

    Arrest records are sourced directly from law enforcement and government systems. While these sources are considered authoritative, errors may occur. Individuals who believe a record contains inaccurate information may request a review through TexArrest’s official record review process.

    Corrections address factual inaccuracies. Removal of records occurs only when legally required, such as through a valid court order.

    This information is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.