The Hunt for Cody Lee Evans

Cody Lee Evans was on the run from law enforcement.  He fled the 

Houston area after assaulting a man and his three children.  Evans managed to make it as far as Carmen, Oklahoma until a Crime Stoppers tip ended his flight.

On January 5, 2012, Steven Rangel and his three children drove to a truck stop in Chanelview, TX to get their car washed.  While at the truck stop, Rangel was approached by Evans with whom he had an ongoing dispute.  Rangel told Evans that his children were in the car and that he “didn’t want any trouble.”  The safety of Rangel’s children would soon prove be of no concern to Evans.

Evans became violent.  Rangel fled the scene with his children in the back seat.  Evans and two accomplices chased Rangel.   Rangel was forced to the side of the road and stopped.  Evans exited the car and approached Rangel wielding a knife, forcing Rangel to drive his vehicle in a ditch to escape.  As the pursuit continued, Evans eventually forced Rangel to drive his car into a pole.

Cody Lee Evans

Rangel’s children were seriously injured in the accident.  His daughter’s right foot was amputated as a result of her injuries. One child suffered a broken collarbone.  Rangel’s son had his tongue reattached as a result of the collision. Rangel himself suffered broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and punctured lungs.

As a result of a police investigation, Cody Lee Evans was charged with two counts of Injury to a Child, one count of Injury to a Child under 15, and one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.  Warrants were issued for the arrest of Evans, but he had already fled the jurisdiction.

Evans remained at large until Saturday, February 4, 2012, when the Crime Stoppers phone rang.  On the line: a concerned citizen. The anonymous caller told investigators that Evans’ hideout was in Carmen, Oklahoma, in a residential neighborhood.

Deputies with the US Marshals were immediately notified. Evans was apprehended and he awaits extradition back to Harris County. 

Another violent felon is behind bars as a result of the vigilance of concerned citizens.  Crime Stoppers continues to bring community members together with law enforcement to ensure a safer Houston.  The support and information of everyday citizens apprehended this violent criminal, making Houstonians true citizen-crime-fighters.