Monday, August 26
11:45 AM – 14800 Blk. Main St. – Officers provided a funeral escort to the Masonic Cemetery.
8:02 PM – Windview Ct. @ Farmer Dr. – Officer conducted a field contact with new homeowners in the Rosewood Subdivision.
Tuesday, August 27
6:08 AM 20200 Blk. IH 35 – Officer responded to call for a suspicious vehicle todiscover it was a traveler taking a nap in his vehicle.
9:06 AM – 19300 Blk. McDonald St. – Officer responded to a report of a refrigerated box van leaking hazardous liquid but could not locate it.
5:43 PM – 15000 Blk. Main St. – Officer responded to assist in jump-starting the vehicle battery for a stranded motorist.
10:19 PM – 15300 Blk. Main St. – Officers responded to a verbal disturbance.
11:15 PM – Assist Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office – 19900 Blk. FM 3175 – Officer responded to assist a consumer being transported back to his residence in the county.
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Devine Police Report
August 23
14:11PM – Complainant on Davis Ave advised daughter on property and banging on door and yelling at her to let her in. Daughter left prior to prior to officer arrival.
18:43PM – BOLO for black Ford pickup with trailer involved in accident in Bexar County. Unable to locate.
23:48PM – Complainant on Hondo Ave called in reference to large boulder on roadway. City notified.
August 24
18:18PM – Officer dispatched to Hondo Ave for minor accident.
22:10PM – Officer dispatched to Hondo Ave for verbal disturbance between female and male.
August 25
3:20AM – Caller on LC Martin Dr advised he heard a loud noise coming from the parking lot.
5:54AM – Employer noticed their oil cabinet was broken into. Unknown amount of items taken.
“Predator Poachers” group tracks suspect to Devine
Press Release by Devine PD–On September 1, 2024, at 1:21 PM, Officers from the Devine Police Department responded to a disturbance at Walmart, located at 175 IH 35, involving two males. Upon arrival, Officers spoke with Alex Rosen, who is part of Predator Poachers, a group that conducts online investigations into the sexual solicitation of minors.
Rosen stated that the other individual, identified as Eric Rey Castillo, age 25, had come to Walmart to engage in sexual activities with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old boy.
Rosen provided the Officers printed messages exchanged between Castillo and the purported minor, whom Rosen was impersonating.
After being informed of his Miranda Rights, Castillo stated he knew the boy was not real but insisted he needed to verify this for himself. He claimed his visit to Devine was motivated by a need for mental “help” and anticipated police presence. Castillo was subsequently arrested and transported to the Medina County Jail, facing charges of Online Solicitation of a Minor, a second-degree felony. A second-degree felony in Texas can result in 2–20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
Medina Co makes breakthrough in 1974 Cold Case
Press Release–The Medina County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce a significant breakthrough in a decades-old cold case. After nearly 45 years of persistent investigative efforts, an unidentified body discovered off Red Wing Road, now County Road 371 Castroville, TX in 1979 has now been positively identified as Gary Alan Robbins.
On November 26, 1979, the remains of an unidentified individual were found approximately 90 feet north of Red Wing Road in the brush. Despite extensive efforts at the time, investigators were unable to determine the identity of the deceased, leading the case to go cold.
Recent advances in forensic science, particularly in DNA analysis, have provided the tools necessary to revisit this case with renewed vigor. Working closely with Identifinders International, Intermountain Forensics, and through Gray Hughes Investigates’ financial support. Medina County Sheriff’s Office has successfully identified the remains as those of Gary Alan Robbins, born in Chicago Illinois on July 25, 1946.
Medina County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest gratitude to the community for its support and to the forensic teams whose dedication and expertise made this identification possible. This breakthrough would not have been possible without the resources provided by Gray Hughes Investigates, whose commitment to justice and community safety has made a profound impact.
While this discovery brings closure to one aspect of the case, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Gary Alan Robbins death continues.
We urge anyone with information related to this case to come forward. You can contact Sergeant Investigator Alfonso R. Oranday at 830-741-6150 or by email alfonso.oranday@medinatx.org
You can also submit tips anonymously to the Medina County Crime Stoppers Hotline, at 1-800-FOR-CUFF (1-800-367-2833) or by APP: P3 TIPS (Available on IOS & Android Devices)
The victim has now been positively identified as Gary Alan Robbins.
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Vendor sign ups underway for locals first for Fall Festival
Sign up… deadline Aug. 23 for first dibs at fall festival
The Devine Chamber of Commerce will host its annual 2024 Fall Cactus Festival on the first Saturday of November as usual, set for November 2 in downtown Devine with a festival, street dance and carnival.
Sign up as a vendor
August 23 is the deadline for locals to get first dibs on vendor spots….This year preference will be given to chamber members to keep with the local first theme who sign up to be a vendor first. Then it will be opened to outside vendors. Only 3 of every kind of vendor will be allowed to provide a nice variety of vendors. The Devine Market Association has accepted the job of organizing the vendors and taking care of that part of the festival for the chamber. An August 23 deadline has been set for chamber members to apply to get dibs on a vendor spot. Chamber members will be given priority then local and then open to others. To give as much opportunity as possible to local people first. Think, Shop, Dine Devine!
Charley Richardt, DMA Market Coordinator is handing the vendors for the chamber with the help of Steve Smith. Charley can be reached at 210.790.2212 or by email at charley.katona@gmail.com Feel free to text with questions about vendors. The link to sign up is https://forms.gle/r3JW89SRLwsCb1C9A
Carnival
The carnival will be in town Thursday through Saturday as usual.
Continue reading “Vendor sign ups underway for locals first for Fall Festival”
Natalia Police DeptBlotter
08/19- Theft
Officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Tx-132 for a theft report. Officer found that a suspect had stolen parts off a pickup truck, and other tools in the vehicle’s tool box, a suspect was identified and an arrest is imminent.
08/19 Dog at-large
Officers responded to the 700 block of Miller St. for a report of a large black lab-mix dog on the reporting persons property. Officers picked up the dog and later the owner was found and the dog was returned to its owner.
08/20 Phone harassment
Officers were dispatched to the 100 block of 8th street for a phone harassment report. The complainant claimed that his ex-girlfriend was using computer generated phone numbers to send harassing text messages to the complainant. Officers investigated the crime but were not able to specifically determine the origin of the harassing calls.
Devine PD Blotter
August 16-Caller reported a lost wallet, and someone was using it at a gas station on Oak Hill Drive.
August 16-Caller reported a Mustang driving erradically on Hondo Avenue.
August 17-Suspects reportedly stole a white Volkswagen from Adams Avenue on August 17. Caller reported seeing three unknown suspects in the vehicle as it drove it away. It was found by SAPD who had the wrecked vehicle towed. If you have any info please reach out to Devine PD.
August 22-A juvenile was found in possession of a vape at Devine High School.
August 18-A vehicle being pushed into the parkinglot lost control and struck a water pipe and a trashcan.
Aug 18- Caller reported driver in White Mustang flipping off another driver. Officer made contact with the driver.
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EMS tax hike proposal draws concerned citizens to contentious meeting
MCESD4 District provides EMS service to Devine and Natalia and the surrounding area. It has been planning to switch over on October 1 from hiring a third party amublance service to starting their own EMS business with the thought the taxpayers would get more service. Apprarently not all board members were on the same page, as Board Members Juan Zamora and George Moralez tabled the actions when he learned that Allegiance was already providing TWO 24 HR Ambulances. He was under the impression the ESD was only getting 1.5 ambulances, and the new business would bring that up to 2 ambulances. He questioned why that was misrepresented to the him and Moralez the two newest board members.
As of press time Tuesday, August 27 a new public hearing was happening to see what the board plans to do with tax rate and if Allegiance will be asked to keep providing the service instead of it stopping on Sept 30 since as the board has already cancelled their service as of that date.
By Anton Riecher
With anger and frustration boiling over during an August 20 public hearing, the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 Board of Commissioners voted to postpone action on a proposed 57 percent tax rate increase to support its transition to operating its own ambulances rather than contracting with an outside provider. The new tax rate would cause a 73% increase in the actual tax bill of the average homestead will pay.
Former Devine mayor and county commissioner Jerry Beck and Natalia ISD board president Eric Smith among a room full of others were very concerned in the often heated opposition to both the tax increase and the revamp of ambulance service.
“We didn’t know you were going to raise our taxes until it came out in the newspaper the other day,” Beck said. “We wanted to ask, number one, why, but it’s already been decided. You’ve already fired the contract company. You’ve already hired new people.”
Video coverage of the ESD4 public hearing is posted on the Devine News YouTube channel.
Friction was also apparent between board president Anthony Martin and board treasurer Juan Zamora over the issue of whether…
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Cruz control!
Devine Arabian setter Kyndie Cruz was honored for having reached 1,000 career assists. Quick on her feet, she sets up one kill after another for her team.
