The family of the Katy ISD police officer held hostage for 36 hours by her ex-boyfriend has issued a public letter of appreciation, thanking the community for its support.
The letter, distributed by the family of Rachel Hillsman, also thanks the law enforcement officers that worked for her release.
Saying “there is a lot of healing that needs to take place,” the letter also asks for the community’s continued prayers and support for Hillsman and for the family of her abductor, Julio “Trey” Reyes.
The letter, in its entirety, reads as follows:
“We would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the community for the outpouring of support we received in this difficult time. Rachel is home and safe, and we know that it is due in large part to the prayers, support and hard work of those in this community.
“This has been a trying and difficult experience, but we are so grateful to have Rachel home. We would like to extend our utmost thanks to the law enforcement personnel who worked tirelessly during the 36-hour period. We were so lucky to have so many well-trained officers and police forces working the case. We cannot praise their expertise and dedication enough. We are also so appreciative of our friends and family who provided support to all those involved. Their shoulders were all completely soaked through this ordeal, and we could not have gotten through this without them.
“While we are undoubtedly ecstatic about Rachel’s safe return, we know there is a lot of healing that needs to take place, both in our family and in the Reyes family. We ask for your continued prayer and support as we work through this process. We also ask that you keep the Reyes family in your thoughts and prayers as they try to cope with their heart-wrenching loss and grief.
“We can never thank you all enough for your support. This has been a life changing experience for all involved. We hope that all of you who read this remember to cherish your loved ones and appreciate every minute you have with them.
“Thank you for bringing our girl home.”
The letter, which was sent to a number of newspapers and media outlets throughout the area, was signed “the Hillsman Family.”
Hillsman was freed after spending more than 36 hours as the hostage Reyes, her ex-boyfriend. Reyes was also a Katy ISD police officer.
Hillsman was released around 7 p.m. Aug. 19, ending a six-hour armed standoff between Reyes and some 75 law enforcement officers from more than a dozen different police agencies.
Moments after he released Hillsman, with whom he had a 13-month-old child, Reyes took his own life.
Hillsman was abducted around 6 a.m. the prior morning as she was leaving her mother’s home in rural Waller County. She was dressed in her police uniform and on her way to work at the Katy ISD Police Department.
Reyes reportedly ambushed Hillsman at the front gate of the rural residence, struggled with her and forced her into his pickup.
Hillsman’s two children, ages 7 and 13 months, were in her car at the time of the kidnapping. They were uninjured and left behind in the vehicle.
Reyes was the father of the 13-month-old. The 7-year-old is from a previous relationship.
Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith said although Hillsman and Reyes were at one time romantically involved – a relationship that produced the younger child – they had not been together since last November.
The sheriff also reported investigators learned Reyes and Hillsman had a “major argument” the day before the kidnapping during which Reyes made threats against Hillsman. Hillsman spent the night at her mother’s home rather than at her Brookshire residence because of the threats.
Police immediately set up roadblocks throughout Waller County and began an extensive search that centered on the Brookshire area. The standoff in Brookshire started around 1 p.m. Wednesday when Reyes reportedly fired a shot at a DPS trooper who was searching the bottom floor of a vacant home on Stella road after seeing a broken window pane. The trooper did not return fire because Reyes was using Hillsman as a human shield.
Reyes then retreated to the upstairs portion of the home, still holding Hillsman at gunpoint.
The area was cordoned off by a host a law enforcement officers. A SWAT team was deployed in a heavily armored vehicle and a specially-trained hostage negotiator with the DPS was called to the scene to communicate with Reyes.
After a six-hour siege, Reyes freed his former girlfriend.
As SWAT officers were removing Hillsman from the scene, they heard a single gunshot from inside the home. Police rushed in to find Reyes dead, an apparent suicide.
Hillsman was visibly upset and crying as she ran from the home, but appeared to be unharmed.
She was taken to Katy Memorial Hermann Hospital where she was treated and released.
Hillsman has not made any public statement since the end of the hostage drama.
