Sheriff's Report: Most Wanted Felon Arrested; Deputies of the Quarter

This interview was recorded at the Henderson County Justice Center on Wednesday, July 12, with Sheriff Botie Hillhouse and Michael V. Hannigan.

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This week’s edition includes a Most Wanted Felon, a busy Fourth of July, and the Deputies of the Quarter.

I. Stats (1:14)

Summary: There were 395 inmates in the jail Wednesday morning, with 87 of those being contract inmates. The average population for the year is 408.

Also: Sheriff Hillhouse added a new stat to the list. In the past two weeks, the Sheriff’s Office has picked up 35 dogs or cats.

II. Most Wanted Felon Caught (2:50)

Summary: This week, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Brandon Truitt, 38, who was on the Kaufman County Most Wanted list. He also had warrants for his arrest issued out of Henderson County and Brazos County. His warrants included drug charges, bail jumping, evading arrest, and parole violations.

Also: Truitt was arrested by Deputy Edwin Rodriguez and K-9 Valco. Deputy Rodriguez stopped Truitt on Loop 7 and while stopped, Truitt exited the vehicle and ran into a heavily wooded area. Valco was able to go into the woods and find Truitt.

Quote: “We're very thankful that Valco was actually there this time and got him apprehended, and he is now in custody,” said Sheriff Hillhouse.

III. Busy Fourth of July (4:54)

Summary: The Sheriff’s Office stayed very busy in the days leading up to July 4. Sheriff Hillhouse said his department worked two drownings, a fire, and a total of eight deaths over that period.

Quote: “I've seen a lot of busy holidays in my career,” said Sheriff Hillhouse. “This is actually probably the busiest Fourth of July that I have ever seen.”

IV. Deputies of the Quarter (7:27)

Summary: Wednesday, Sheriff Hillhouse was honored to present three outstanding employees with awards for their service and dedication to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. Investigator Wayne Nutt was named Deputy of the 2nd Quarter of 2023. Communications Officer Milinda Kay Wood was named Communications Officer of the Quarter. Detention Officer Zoe Tunnell was named Detention Officer of the Quarter.

Quote: “It's really, really hard for us to just pick one,” said Sheriff Hillhouse. “There's always something that happens in the quarter that kind of stands out, and so we try to remember those and recognize them once a quarter.”