Multi-county chase leads in Tyler County arrest

By Chris Edwards

WARREN – A parole violator from Colorado was arrested in Tyler County, right near the Tyler/Hardin county boundary. The arrest came after a pursuit that spanned four counties.

Gregory A. Sawin, a 45-year-old Denver, Colo., resident, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon at approximately 2 p.m., according to Tyler County Sheriff Bryan Weatherford. Weatherford’s office was made aware of the pursuit of Sawin at 10:30 a.m. that morning when Hardin County deputies were in pursuit of a BMW passenger car on US Highway 69.

Gregory A. SawinWeatherford said the pursuit began in Orange County, and proceded through neighboring Jefferson and Hardin counties. The vehicle stopped on a private road just inside of Tyler County, and Sawin fled, on foot, into a wooded area, just south of Warren. 

Reportedly, the chase reached speeds in excess of 120 MPH, and began when law enforcement in Orange were conducting a welfare check on an allegedly suicidal person. 

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Weatherford said that several agencies, including TCSO, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety as well as agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were quickly able to secure a perimeter around the wooded area.

In the end, it was K-9 units from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice out of Livingston and Dayton that were sucessful in tracking Sawin down and leading to his apprehension.

Once he was taken into custody and identified, it was discovered that he was wanted in his home state for a Parole Violation. He was transported to the Orange County Jail, where he will face additional charges. 

A public records search of Sawin also turned up past convictions in the state of Oklahoma for a litany of charges, including forgery, driving under the influence and several assault/battery on a peace officer convictions dating back to 1996.

The mugshot used in this story is provided courtesy of the Colorado Dept. of Corrections.