HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities are still searching for a man who escaped from a courthouse and attempted to carjack a district attorney’s office employee at knifepoint earlier on Thursday.
By 9:30 p.m., SkyEye reported that the search for 35-year-old Nigel Thomas Sanders, who triggered an alert in downtown Houston about six hours earlier, had not yielded any results. The search had focused on the Near Northside, where police were seen speaking with neighbors. However, by late evening, the search appeared to have scaled back.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the search, which led to a lockdown at the nearby University of Houston-Downtown. Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office units were positioned at Commerce Street near Austin Street.
A spokesperson for the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office informed that Sanders was still wearing jail-issued trousers. He had attempted a carjacking but failed and subsequently jumped into the nearby Buffalo Bayou. The Houston Police Department described Sanders as wearing a black shirt and orange pants.
By 7 p.m., HCSO provided an update, identifying Sanders as 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds. Sanders, who has a lengthy criminal history, was in court for three burglary counts and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He escaped from 1301 Franklin, the building adjacent to the criminal courthouse, after his hearing.
According to Assistant Chief Philip Bosquez, Sanders “facilitated” his escape, though specific details were not disclosed. Sanders reached the building’s sallyport, where he held a district attorney’s office employee at knifepoint while she was getting into her vehicle. The woman crashed into several cars, and Sanders fled on foot, last seen on the street. Bosquez noted that Sanders acquired the knife outside of jail.
HCSO considers Sanders dangerous and a threat to the community, urging anyone who sees him to call 911. The University of Houston-Downtown had issued an alert to students and staff, instructing them to “get indoors immediately,” “lock outside doors,” and “avoid windows.” The alert was later lifted, and the situation was cleared.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg confirmed that the employee held at knifepoint works in her office. “We are thankful and grateful that she was not physically harmed during this incident,” Ogg said. “Once he is arrested, we expect to prosecute this defendant and seek justice in this case.”
