Search continues for escapee who left when brawl broke out in courtroom next door, HCSO says

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- The search continues for a man who escaped his leg shackles on Tuesday morning and managed to walk out of a courthouse unnoticed.

Michael Devon Combs, 32, had a court appearance at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse. A judge revoked his bond and he was placed into shackles.

He was left alone at about 10 a.m. when a panic button went off because a fight broke out in a different courtroom between a convicted murderer's family and the victim's family, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.

SEE FIGHT VIDEO: Chaos breaks out in courtroom after man pleads guilty to killing his teenage girlfriend

ABC13 cameras captured family members fighting during court for Frank DeLeon Jr., who pleaded guilty to the murder of Diamond Alvarez.

HCSO Major Lynette Anderson said Combs was left alone because the deputies went to assist with the fight. That's when the suspect reportedly took advantage and took off.

How Combs managed to remove the shackles is still under investigation.

"Once they hit the panic button, the deputies left to go assist and he was sitting there. Someone should have stayed with him," Anderson said.

Officials said no one noticed he was gone for 10 to 15 minutes.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Man was able to escape leg shackles when brawl broke out in another courtroom, HCSO says

The Harris County Sheriff's Office confirmed a man was being taken into custody over a revoked bond when he escaped from the courtroom.

According to records, Comb was out on bond for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two children in 2022. They had reportedly been dating for more than seven years.

In March of last year, records show the girlfriend told Combs she couldn't date him anymore, which upset him and prompted a fight.

At one point, she told investigators Combs grabbed her throat with one hand and used his other hand to punch her in the face multiple times. She said she thought she was going to die.

Combs' bond was revoked on Tuesday because he had reportedly been violating his bond conditions by testing positive for meth and shutting off his GPS monitor.

Anderson said Combs' ex-girlfriend is safe and aware that he's missing.

ABC13 asked authorities who was going to be held accountable for the escape. The sheriff's office said it is reviewing surveillance video.

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