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A murder suspect who evaded authorities for nearly two weeks across Central Texas and Bastrop County communities was cap tured after a foot chase with state troopers last week.
Severiano Valdonado, wanted out of Karnes County, was tracked through Bastrop to Smithville by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office and Smithville Police Department. He was found camping along the river in downtown Austin early Oct. 1, according to officials.
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Karnes County Sheriff Steven Bailey said Valdonado walked for several days before stealing a truck and taking off to Bastrop County. He reportedly took a kayak and floated down the Colorado River to Smithville, where a resident offered him a ride to a homeless shelter in southeast Austin.
There, members of the Texas Department of Public Safety Bicycle Patrol Unit initially approached Valdonado for camping in violation of the city’s homeless abatement program. He was identified by troopers and subdued with a taser after a short chase.
Valdonado was medically evaluated and booked into the Travis County Jail, where he awaits extradition to Karnes County.
The case began Sept. 18 with the shooting death of 23-year-old Michelle Janssen in Runge. Valdonado, who had reportedly been dating Janssen at the time, gave chase after being named as a suspect.
His capture followed a multi-agency investigation that tracked him from Karnes County through Bastrop, Fayette and Wilson counties before ending in Austin. Other involved agencies included the Karnes County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
