On February 8, 2026, at around 9:30 a.m., Jail staff with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office discovered that an inmate Christian Joel-Marcos Cortez was not accounted for inside the facility. After further investigation it was discovered that inmate Cortez was able to exit the jail through an outer door and successfully climb an exterior fence and leave the property of the Jail.
Currently there is an ongoing search for Cortez using a number of law enforcement and public resources. There is also an internal investigation to determine how Cortez was able to leave the facility. Cortez was being housed for Child Molestation.
If anyone has information about this case, you are asked to call the Troup County Sheriff Office at 706-883-1616 or 911.
