A convicted child sex offender from Cuba who repeatedly absconded from state supervision has been named Texas’ Featured Fugitive for December, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
William Herrera Zamora, 63, has been wanted since June 2022 and now tops the state’s Texas 10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants list. DPS increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to $8,500 if a tip is submitted this month.
Zamora’s criminal record includes a 2019 conviction on 10 counts of possession with intent to promote child pornography, for which he received a five-year prison sentence. After his January 2021 release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, he was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but was later released and allowed to live in Fort Worth.
Within months, he failed to comply with parole and sex-offender registration requirements, according to DPS.
Grapevine police first issued a warrant in June 2022 for indecency with a child by sexual contact. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles issued a parole violation warrant soon after. Fort Worth police added two more warrants in January 2023 for failing to register as a sex offender.
DPS described Zamora as 5 feet 9 inches tall, about 160 pounds, with a tattoo on his upper left arm, a scar on his abdomen, and typically wearing glasses.
Texas Crime Stoppers, funded by the Governor’s Public Safety Office, offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests on the state’s 10 Most Wanted lists. So far this year, law enforcement agencies have captured 63 fugitives, including 26 sex offenders and 13 criminal illegal immigrants, and have paid out $41,000 in rewards.
Tips must be submitted through one of the official DPS channels to qualify for the reward:
- 1-800-252-TIPS
- DPS website fugitive tip form
- Texas 10 Most Wanted Facebook page (“Submit a Tip”)
“All tips are anonymous,” DPS said.
Authorities warn the public not to approach Zamora, noting he is considered armed and dangerous.