U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Apprehends Man Wanted for Murder, Aggravated Robbery

Tyler, TX – On April 8, the Denton Police Department began investigating an aggravated robbery involving a firearm that had happened around midnight. Two victims stated that the fugitive Darian Watts had been at their apartment but once they learned that Watts had an outstanding murder warrant they made him leave. Watts returned about 10 minutes later with another individual, both armed with handguns, and proceeded to rob the people in the apartment.

A case file review showed that Watts was wanted out of Tarrant County for a murder that had occurred in April 2018. Watts had stabbed a 25-year-old man to death after he kicked over the fugitive’s water bottle at an Arlington apartment complex.

On April 8, members of the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force were referred apprehension responsibility for Watts based off of his active murder warrant in National Crime Information Center, along with a pending aggravated robbery warrant Denton PD was in the process of issuing.

Members of Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force were able to determine that Watts was staying at an apartment in Denton and set up a surveillance and arrest operation at the complex. At around 5:30 p.m., a suspect matching Watts' description was observed leaving the breezeway of one of the apartments. The suspect was moving fast with a hoodie pulled over his head and appeared to be hiding his identity. Officers observed the suspect get into the passenger side of a gray Infiniti sedan.

Members of Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force followed the vehicle as it pulled across the parking lot and into a parking space with the occupants looking around. Watts was positively identified in the car and a vehicle takedown was conducted. Watts was taken into custody without incident.

Denton Police Department issued the aggravated robbery warrant the following day on April 9.