Inmate mistakenly released from Harris County Jail captured in Florida, authorities say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- An inmate mistakenly released from Harris County Jail has been captured states away- in Florida, according to authorities.

On Thursday, the Harris County Sheriff's Office shared that 36-year-old Troy Dugas had been captured in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This comes days after Dugas was mistakenly released on Sunday at 4:30 a.m. According to authorities, Dugas had been sentenced to five years in state prison for family violence assault in Fort Bend County, and given a two-year sentence for evading arrest in Brazoria County.

HCSO said he had been in the Harris County Jail since Aug. 14 on additional charges that were subsequently dismissed.

The sheriff's office said jail staff did not properly document Dugas' state prison sentence, assuming he was eligible for release once his charges were dismissed.

"We thank our Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, our many law enforcement partners, and the community for their assistance," the sheriff's office said on Thursday, following Dugas' capture.