AUSTIN – John Arthur Volker, 50, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender, is now in custody after being captured on Jan. 5 in California. Volker, who had eluded law enforcement for nearly 15 years, was wanted for probation violation. The arrest was not the result of a tip, and no reward will be paid.
Volker was arrested by the Long Beach Police Department for disorderly conduct, and he will be extradited back to Texas. His criminal history includes indecency with a child-sexual contact, involving two young girls.
Volker had eluded law enforcement authorities in Texas for nearly 15 years, after he absconded from the Houston, Texas area. In two separate incidents in 1991 and 1995, VOLKER had sexual contact with a three-year-old female and a nine-year-old female. Both victims came forward about the incidents in 1998. VOLKER received seven years’ probation in 1999 and was required to register for life as a sex offender.
Volker’s apprehension marks the first Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive arrest in 2015. 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.
To be eligible for the cash rewards, there are five different ways to provide anonymous tips:
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 and for Android users on Google Play.
All tips are anonymous – regardless of how they are submitted.
DPS investigators work with local law enforcement agencies to select fugitives featured in the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program. To view the current lists – with photos – visit the DPS website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/texas10mostwanted/.
Do not attempt to apprehend these fugitives; they are considered armed and dangerous.
