They were "inseparable". Then, on June 12, 1901, The Sheriff of El Carmen, W.T. Morris, came to Gregorio and Román to investigate a horse theft. Even though Gregorio and Román were innocent, they spoke Spanish, and the sheriff didn't. Sheriff Morris relied on poor Spanish translations from his fellow Texas Rangers. Cortez and Romaldo got confused and played along. The Sheriff was looking for a horse thief and asked if they traded a horse. Gregorio said "no", and told the sheriff that he had a mare.[17] After a while, Sheriff Morris assumed Gregorio and Romaldo were lying and decided to place them both under arrest, for a crime they didn't commit. However, when the sheriff tried to arrest the brothers, Gregorio stood up to him, saying "You can't arrest me for nothing". The Sheriff didn't understand his Spanish, and thought he said "No white man can arrest me". The Sherriff got out his pistol and shoot Ronaldo, who ended up wounded. Gregorio shot the sheriff in retaliation. However, Gregorio left the scene and headed straight towards the Austin-Gonzales vicinity.[18] Cortez did a powerful walk to save his life. Gregorio walked eighty miles a day through difficult terrain just to get to the border. All the while, Texas Rangers were following him. Gregorio even killed the Gonzales sheriff Robert M. Glover, who was leading the charge. Gregorio walked 100 miles to meet a friend named Ceferino Flores, who gave him a saddle. Gregorio eventually got a horse to ride 400 miles to the border. Eventually, Texas Governor Joseph D Sayers and Karnes citizens offered a reward of one thousand dollars for Gregorio's capture. Gregorio eventually landed at the Abran de la Garza sheep camp on June 22, 1901. He started to talk with a man named Jesús González. González, however, led the rangers to find Cortez, and the rangers arrested him.[19] Many Tejanos would brand Jesús González as a traitor, and he would eventually be known as "EL Teco".[20] Gregorio Cortez was put on trial. A formal letter written and signed by Mexicans of Mexico City, and the president of Mexico, who in turn gave him money to help fund his claim. Sadly, Gregorio was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killings of two sheriffs, and the supposed theft of a horse. However, he got an early release after a year. This verdict was a "victory" for Mexican Americans, and the