FERRIS, TEXAS — The City of Ferris confirms that Cristian Ivan Ceballos Vega was taken into custody today by Ferris Department of Public Safety officials, pursuant to arrest warrants sought by the Ferris Department of Public Safety/Ferris Police Department and issued by an Ellis County magistrate.
The warrants charge Ceballos Vega with Voyeurism, listed in the warrant as a state jail felony, and Criminal Trespass, listed in the warrant as a Class A misdemeanor.
“Our officers responded, investigated, developed probable cause, sought the warrants, and worked with our law-enforcement partners to bring this individual into custody. The warrants were issued through the Ellis County magistrate system,” said Dr. Brooks Williams, City Manager for the City of Ferris.
According to the sworn probable-cause affidavits, Ceballos Vega is alleged to have unlawfully entered private residential property in the City of Ferris, looked into a home without consent, and observed victims inside the residence where they had a reasonable expectation of privacy. The voyeurism warrant further alleges that the conduct was sexual in nature and was done for his own sexual gratification. Minor victims are involved in this case.
“This is not simply an allegation that someone stepped onto private property,” Williams said. “The allegations in these warrants involve an invasion of privacy inside a family’s home, conduct alleged to be sexual in nature, and juvenile victims. That is serious. That is disturbing. And the City of Ferris treated it with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.”
The City of Ferris will not release the victims’ names, ages, address, school information, family details, or any other information that could reasonably identify them. The City also will not release graphic details of the alleged conduct.
“Our responsibility is twofold,” Williams said. “First, we must protect the integrity of the criminal case. Second, we must protect the dignity and privacy of the victims and their family. We will speak about what the warrants allege, but we will not say or release anything that needlessly harms the victims or compromises the prosecution of this case.”
The arrest was the result of a coordinated joint task-force effort involving the Ferris Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE.
“This arrest reflects exactly why interagency cooperation matters,” said John DeLeon, Deputy City Manager over Public Safety for the City of Ferris. “Ferris DPS worked this case aggressively, and our partners with Texas DPS, the U.S. Marshals Service, and ICE provided critical assistance. When allegations involve children, a family’s home, and conduct of this nature, there is no room for hesitation. We work together, we move quickly, and we do everything within the law to get the individual before the court.”
The City has confirmed through ICE that Ceballos Vega is not lawfully present in the United States and has no lawful immigration status in this country. His immigration status is separate from the state criminal charges, which are based on the conduct alleged in the warrants. Questions regarding immigration proceedings, immigration custody, or federal immigration detainers should be directed to ICE.
“Mr. Ceballas Vega’s immigration status will be handled at a federal level,” Williams said. “At the same time, the state criminal charges stand on their own. He was arrested because a magistrate found probable cause on the criminal allegations presented by Ferris law enforcement.”
DeLeon added that today’s arrest is an important step for the victims and their family.
“No arrest can undo what this family experienced,” DeLeon said. “But today matters. Today is a step toward accountability, a step toward reassurance, and hopefully a step toward closure for the victims. The City of Ferris stands with them, and we will continue to support the lawful process as this case moves forward.”
During the course of this investigation, the Ferris Department of Public Safety was made aware of additional reported incidents that may be relevant and that are outside the two arrest warrants being announced today. Ferris DPS is continuing to review that information. Anyone who had contact with Cristian Ivan Ceballos Vega and believes they may have been a victim of similar conduct, or anyone with information that may assist investigators, is encouraged to contact the Ferris Department of Public Safety at 972.928.5592. Anyone in immediate danger should call 911.
Ceballos Vega is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Because this remains a pending criminal case, the City will not discuss evidence, video, witness statements, or additional investigative details beyond what is contained in public court records.
