Troup County — Christian Joel-Marcos Cortez, a 20-year-old inmate accused of child molestation, was captured late Sunday night in Cherokee County after escaping from the Troup County Jail early that morning. Law enforcement confirmed the arrest shortly after a multi-agency search that stretched across northwest Georgia.
Cortez was first reported missing from the jail around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, although deputies say he likely slipped out of the facility before dawn, around 4:42 a.m. Officials believe he exited through an outer door and scaled a perimeter fence to make his getaway, though a full internal review is underway to determine exactly how he managed to break free from custody.
For nearly 12 hours, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers and investigators from multiple agencies canvassed roads, woods and residential areas in hopes of locating Cortez. Tips from the public and coordinated efforts led authorities to a location in Acworth, where the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office took him back into custody at around 9:20 p.m. Sunday. A Troup County deputy was on the way to Cherokee County to formally transfer custody.
Cortez had been held at the Troup County facility without bond since June 2025 on charges including child molestation. Court records say he was accused of engaging in inappropriate conversations with a minor over the phone.
Neighbors in the Acworth area described a heavy law enforcement presence late Sunday night. Some said officers went door-to-door as part of the search, while others saw marked cruisers crisscrossing quiet residential streets. No residents reported injuries or direct contact with Cortez during the incident.
The Troup County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released a timeline for the internal investigation into the escape. Officials stressed they would review video, staffing and security logs to determine what went wrong and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Authorities thanked the public for remaining alert and urged anyone with additional information about the case to contact the sheriff’s office. Cortez now faces not only his original charges, but additional counts related to the escape itself as the justice process continues.
