Police in Texas are currently searching for Tory Dugas, 36, who was reportedly "mistakenly" released from Harris County Jail as he was supposed to begin a seven-year sentence following a conviction for assaulting a family member and evading arrest. Dugas had been held in the county jail since Thursday on charges that were later dismissed.

At around 4:30 AM local time on Sunday, he was released without the necessary documentation of his prison sentence, which resulted in the misunderstanding regarding his eligibility for freedom. A thorough investigation is underway to find out how this error occurred, as officials revealed that the staff failed to document Dugas's state prison sentence in his file properly.

Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jason Spencer mentioned to the Houston Chronicle that officials only realized Dugas was missing after reviewing the transfer list to state custody on Monday morning. Law enforcement is urging the public to assist in locating Dugas. This incident is not an isolated occurrence; previously this year, the Harris County jail mistakenly released another individual arrested on capital murder charges, who later turned himself in after a 24-hour freedom period.