Denver, CO – A fugitive wanted for felony sexual assault of a child under the age of 15 was taken into custody yesterday after fleeing 1,200 miles and 8 months of being on the run.

Roy Villarreal, 55, of Greeley, Colorado, was arrested Thursday by members of the U.S. Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force (GCVOFTF) in McAllen, Texas. He is wanted by the Broomfield Police Department in Colorado on a felony arrest warrant for sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust with the victim under the age of 15, sexual assault of a child with a pattern of abuse, and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault of a child. The arrest warrant in this case was issued on August 22, 2025 after an investigation revealed alleged ongoing sexual abuse by Villarreal against his victim spanning a period of nearly ten years.

After the warrant was issued, the Broomfield P.D. Special Enforcement Team (SET) began looking into Villarreal’s whereabouts and believed he may have been living near Greeley, Colorado, but learned he had begun taking steps to evade law enforcement. In late 2025, BPD SET detectives developed information that Villarreal had likely fled the state as part of his on-going efforts to avoid arrest. They then requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) in helping the investigation to locate Villarreal. COVOTF investigators joined BPD SET detectives and were able to link Villarreal to known family members residing in south Texas.

The COVOTF then relayed the information for Villarreal to the U.S. Marshals GCVOFTF office in McAllen, Texas where they picked up the investigation. Deputy U.S. Marshals and deputized Task Force Officers in McAllen learned Villarreal was not only aware he was wanted and continuing to take steps to avoid detection, but that family members and associates in the area were actively assisting him in hiding. Despite both Villarreal and his family members’ attempts to throw U.S. Marshals off his trail, investigators learned Villarreal was living under an alias provided to him by his boyfriend and was working under the assumed name at a local taco truck in McAllen. GCVOFTF investigators set up surveillance on the business, positively identified Villarreal working as a cook, and were able to safely apprehend him near S 10th Street and W Business Hwy 83 in McAllen, only 7.5 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Following his arrest, Villarreal was transported to the Hidalgo County Jail in Edinburg, Texas, where he was booked on the active warrant from Broomfield. He is currently awaiting extradition and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Villarreal is a convicted sex offender who is required to register. Additional criminal charges for him and those assisting him are pending.

The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the Broomfield Police Department, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, and the Southern District of Texas’ Gulf Coast Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force (GCVOFTF).

The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional fugitive task force that targets the most violent offenders to include those wanted for murder, assault, sex offenses, and other serious offenses throughout the state and country. The United States Marshals Service also works closely with state and local agencies nationwide to locate and apprehend fugitives who flee across state lines to avoid prosecution. Through its network of 58 district task forces and 8 regional fugitive task forces, the agency remains committed to ensuring that offenders are held accountable — no matter how long they attempt to evade justice.

Tips can be submitted to the U.S. Marshals Service directly and anonymously by downloading the USMS Tips app to your Apple or Android device. It can also be accessed online at https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips. You can also follow the latest news and updates about the U.S. Marshals Service in Colorado on X (formerly Twitter): @USMSDenver.