The investigation surrounding escaped Liberty County inmate Yorlan Rafael Reyes-Andrade has resulted in new charges in Washington state and a separate arrest of a woman on child pornography charges, according to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
Reyes-Andrade, who was captured in Washington after escaping custody in Texas, now faces charges there after authorities say they discovered evidence that he was preparing to escape again.
According to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office investigation, authorities discovered a hole carved into the wall of Reyes-Andrade’s jail cell following an incident Aug. 10-11. Investigators also reportedly found a makeshift rope approximately 54 feet long that had been fashioned from torn blankets, along with tools believed to have been used to damage the cell.
Reyes-Andrade has since been charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with first-degree malicious mischief and attempted second-degree escape.
At the time, he was being held in the Snohomish County Jail pending extradition to Texas on the original felony escape warrant.
The investigation into Reyes-Andrade’s escape also led Liberty County authorities to Ebelin Yesenia Quiroz Zelaya, who now faces five child pornography charges.
According to the sheriff’s office, investigators identified Quiroz Zelaya while searching for Reyes-Andrade after he escaped from a Texas hospital. Liberty County investigators contacted her as they attempted to determine his whereabouts.
Investigators conducted a forensic extraction of Quiroz Zelaya’s cellphone while searching for possible communications between her and Reyes-Andrade. During that examination, investigators said they discovered multiple photographs that appeared to depict a child younger than 18 engaged in sexual acts and poses.
Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, authorities secured five arrest warrants for Quiroz Zelaya.
She is charged with two counts of possession or promotion of child pornography as first-degree felonies under Texas Penal Code Section 43.26(d)(3)(B), along with three counts of possession or promotion of child pornography as third-degree felonies under Texas Penal Code Section 43.26.
Quiroz Zelaya was located and taken into custody Aug. 28 in Lafayette, La.
Both investigations remain active.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and other agencies and personnel who assisted in the investigations.