Category: Tid Bits by Richie Priest

Lytle Police news from last week …… Officers managed 52 calls for service and conducted 128 traffic stops. The result of those stops was 113 drivers received citations and 15 received either a written or verbal warning.
Officers took reports of 3 property crimes: #1 – The male restroom at John Lott Park was graffitied. #2 – A 2008 Ford Expedition had the catalytic converter cut from it; the vehicle was in the 15100 blk. of Main St. #3 – An attempted burglary of a vehicle at the H. E.B. Plus resulted in damage to a door lock on a 2005 Chevy P/U. The crooks did not gain entry.
Officers made 5 arrests: #1 – A traffic stop on a speeding vehicle in the 17900 blk. of Wisdom resulted in the recovery of a stolen vehicle. A 2005 F250, reported stolen out of Devine) was recovered. The female driver was arrested, she said she just bought the vehicle a few days ago but could not remember who sold it to her. #2 – A traffic stop for speeding on N. Prairie St. resulted in the arrest of a female driver for D.W.I.
Arrest #3 – A traffic stop for speeding (38 in a 30) at 1:30 AM on Main St. resulted in an arrest for human smuggling. The driver, a Honduran citizen (who lives in Houston), had 12 other Hondurans packed into his Chevy Equinox. Ofc. John Cortez (who did a great job!) was the only officer on so I was called out to help. Fortunately, an Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s Deputy was in the area and helped as well. The group ranged in age from 18-59 and included one married couple. I mostly just stood around and waited for the U.S. Border Patrol to do their thing. I speak very little Spanish and zero Honduran, so I was not much help. I can only imagine, coming all the way from Honduras and your trip ending in downtown Lytle, Texas because the driver was going 8 miles over the speed limit.
Arrests #4 and #5 were cited and released for class C misdemeanors. An adult male on Wisdom Rd. was cited for discharging a firearm in the city limits (ordinance violation). An adult male was cited for public intoxication and released. He was on a golf cart near the intersection of FM 3175 and the IH-35 access road. The golf cart was impounded.
TXDOT Update: The NB access road in front of Best Western is now open to two-way traffic! The NB access road just south of the city will be down to one lane for a few weeks. There will be a temporary traffic control signal, so expect delays.
This weekend is our annual Easter Egg-Travaganza at John Lott Park. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 8. Registration opens at 1:00 PM and the egg hunt starts at 2:00 PM. The registration fee is 1 canned good or $1.00 per child. I think that has been the cost for about 20 years so this is one place where inflation hasn’t paid a visit, heck it might be the only place. The Easter egg hunt is for children ages 1 thru 8.
Last Thursday I was over in the Jourdanton/Pleasanton area all day. I had three stops to conduct background investigations on police applicants.
I also attended a meeting at the courthouse that the new County Judge hosted, a lot of high-powered criminal justice professionals like me were in attendance. It was nice (even though there were no refreshments) to see and hear from some folks I seldom see. I even visited Charlotte Texas for the first time! I have been listening to police and ambulance calls on the radio down there for 30 years, but I had never been there. It was a lot nicer of a place in person than it sounded on the police radio.
I saw that the Pleasanton Police Chief is retiring, I am sure some people thought I was down there scoping the job out. I want to stop that rumor; I have no intention of applying for that position. I am happy where I am, and they probably have high standards and want somebody that can wear a tie. Furthermore, there are way too many good places to eat over there. To take that job the city would have to agree to pay me by the pound and increase my salary as my weight went up.

Here is your weekly dose of “What Lytle P.D. did last week and other stuff the Chief throws in”: Officers handled 60 calls for service and conducted 118 traffic stops. Of those 118 stops, 102 resulted in a citation and 16 resulted in warnings.
Lytle P.D. arrested 5 people last week, and all were booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #1 & #2 – Ofc. Cortez and Ofc. Diaz – A disturbance at the Railhead Café resulted in a female being arrested for D.W.I. and a male being arrested for criminal mischief. The male broke out a glass door and the female drove him away, but they didn’t get far. An officer was able to stop the vehicle and made the arrests. #3 – Ofc. Cortez assisted by Ofc. Diaz – A disturbance at H.E.B. resulted in the arrest of a male who had active theft warrants out of Bexar Co. and Wilson Co. #4 – Ofc. Diaz – A traffic stop for running a red light resulted in the discovery that the driver had an active warrant out of Bexar Co. for failing to Report Highway Damage. #5 –Ofc. Pena assisted by Sgt. Hanson – initiated a traffic stop for running and red light and the driver then crashed into a drainage ditch. He was arrested for D.W.I.
Property Crimes: We had a total of 5 property crimes reported last week: #1 – In the Railhead Café incident mentioned above, a glass door was broken out. #2 – A resident of the Pecan Grove Apts. (14900 Main St.) reported a window was broken out. #3 – A business on Adams St. reported that they took a $20 bill for payment and didn’t realize it was marked “play money”. #4 – Dollar General reported that they received a counterfeit $20 bill. #5 – On Sunday, a man reported that on Saturday he went to South Texas Hardware on Main St. to purchase and few items and accidentally left a Ziplock bag with $3,000 cash sitting on a stack of bottled water. Let’s be honest, haven’t we all done the same thing? I know a lot of people tell me about losing a wad of cash….but it is normally followed by “at the casino”. But this story has a good ending. Sgt. Lopez and Cpl. Robison were able to track down the person that “found” the money. They went to his house and recovered $2,759, still in the same Ziplock bag.
Congratulations to Natalie Pacheco for placing 1st in the state for Powerlifting. We were able to escort the team out of town last Wednesday. I have to be careful; the school is turning out so many winners if I start trying to keep track of them in my weekly report I won’t have any room for my “police stuff”.
Your wait is over! This weekend is the first annual Lytle Music Fest. The event will be held at John Lott Park on Friday (March 24) and Saturday (March 25). Friday is from 6P-10P and Saturday starts around 10A and runs to 10P. There will be live music, over 40 vendors, and 10 food trucks. The headliner is the group Kin Faux, there is no admission charge and I don’t think anyone is charging for parking either. If you can resist the vendors and food booths, you can get by without spending any money. As for me, I can resist the vendors most of the time and the food booths none of the time.

It’s spring break, and kids and adults look forward to it all year. Here at the Lytle P.D., we look forward to it because we get a break from all the school traffic and a teaser of what summer brings. Last week the Lytle PD officers managed 64 calls for service and conducted 86 traffic stops, of those stops, 78 resulted in citations and 8 in warnings.
Officers took 2 reports of property crimes: #1 – A 3rd St. resident reported that they suspect a FedEx package of screws was taken by a “porch pirate”. Some lucky crook got a box of screws; I bet they were hoping for an iPhone. #2 – A lady was shopping at H.E.B. and another female took her wallet and phone from her basket! The crook fled into the parking lot, she left in a vehicle with different front and back license plates.
     Officers made 3 arrests last week: #1 – A traffic stop on Railroad St. resulted in a female being arrested for DWI w/child. She was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – A traffic stop on FM 2790 for speeding resulted in the driver’s arrest for D.W.I. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #3 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a male for an active warrant out of Bexar Co. for violation of a protective order. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
Another fire! On Wednesday evening around 6:00 PM, officers responded to a fire at Lynda’s Island (AKA Lynda’s Trade Mart). The building had about 10 apartments and one of them was the source of a fire that destroyed the interior, some of the other units had smoke and water damage. It could have been much worse. The Lytle Fire Department responded quickly, followed up by our friends from Natalia VFD, Atascosa Co. E.M.S., and Bexar Co. E.S.D. #5. I saw someone from Devine Fire Rescue as well. The firefighters did a fantastic job and property loss was limited to primarily one small apartment. Again, Lytle Public Works assisted as well as the Red Cross because there were 15 people displaced. Our Mayor, Ruben Gonzalez, was also on the scene (and was at the big fire last week too) and helped coordinate assistance for the residents. The fire was not suspicious; the cause is currently classified as undetermined.
We had two “bailouts” last week. Devine PD chased one into town and Texas D.P.S. chased the other. In all, about 13 of 20 suspected undocumented immigrants were detained. Medina Co. S.O. assisted with both events. There was also another pursuit, led by Medina Co. S.O. that exited the interstate and went down Naegelin Rd. I’m glad there are a lot of young officers who can jump out and continue the chase on foot, I’m better suited to set up a command post or maybe get drinks. Is somebody “down Mexico way” handing out maps with Lytle circled and written next to it “Good place to bailout”? I guess it would be written in Spanish though.
Special thanks to the youth group from Trinity Baptist Church here in Lytle. On Sunday they cooked burgers for first responders, dropped some off at the police station, and then headed over to the fire station. I wasn’t around on Sunday evening but I did find one in the fridge on Monday morning and had it for breakfast, it was really good. 
The boys’ basketball season has ended; they made it all the way to the state tournament! Our schools are turning out talent in all areas, I don’t know what they are doing up there but It appears to be working.
The Lytle Animal Control indoor yard sale was a success; I forgot about it and didn’t get to attend. It’s for the best, I get suckered into all those “for a good cause” events and would end up buying something I would never use, like exercise equipment.

for the week ending February 19, 2023: Lytle PD officers managed 44 calls for service, that’s on the low side. They also conducted 97 traffic stops, those stops resulted in 87 citations and 10 warnings.
Property Crimes: We had three (3) property crimes reported last week. #1 – Management at the Pecan Grove Apartments (14900 Blk. of Main St.) reported that a door to a vacant apartment had been kicked in. #2 – Three juvenile males were cited and released for criminal mischief for an incident that occurred at H.E.B. Plus. It resulted from a TikTok milk jug prank where one falls with a gallon of milk (creating a slippery mess), a second then walks into the scene and does the same, followed by the third. Of course, another person is recording it so everybody can check it out online. The juveniles were ages 14, 15, and 16. Looks to me to be just a waste of good milk and a big mess to clean up. #3 – A recently separated employee of the Lytle Super Stop (Exxon on Main St.) entered the store and walked behind the counter. He grabbed $350 out of the cash register, flashed it to the camera, and then left. Maybe, he was just getting his severance pay and he selected the “quick pay” option.
Recover Stolen Vehicle: Officers Luis Diaz and John Cortez pursued a stolen 2022 Ford F250 on FM 3175, the vehicle ran through three fences at the end of Naegelin Rd. The driver fled on foot and the vehicle was recovered.
Arrests: Officers made two adult arrests last week. #1 – A traffic stop on Main St. for speeding resulted in the arrest of a 47-year-old male for D.W.I. (2nd Offense). He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – A 50-year-old male was arrested for public intoxication on Bruce St. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
More news on another TxDOT project: The plan is to install a right turn lane in front of city hall, so traffic headed to the H.E.B. area will flow a little better. For now, they are just working on the first phase. The TxDOT contractor will be installing traffic light poles in front of the city hall. No lane closures are planned but be patient around that intersection as they do their work. I think it will be awesome when this project gets completed.
In other news …. My wife is pregnant with our 5th child. He is due in July. So now I have an 18-year-old, 15-year-old, 13-year-old, 18-month- old and one on the way. I’m 53 now, so that will cause me to adjust my retirement age. It looks like I will now be aiming for retiring around age 75. My wife and I could be “empty nesters” by the time I hit 80 so I need to start planning for that (if I make it that long). I want also to mention that Sgt. David Lopez and his wife are expecting their 3rd child, due in August. Your prayers would be appreciated for the expecting moms and little ones. We have been asked if we had some kind of pregnancy pact between us, but that is not the case.

Hello Lytle, here is your latest weekly report: Lytle P.D. officers handled 55 calls for service last week and conducted 64 traffic stops. Those 64 stops resulted in 48 citations and 16 warnings. 
     Property Crimes, we had 6 reports: #1 – The owner of a building in the 15300 Blk. of Main St. reported a window was broken out. #2 – A Norvell St. resident reported that a license plate was stolen. #3 – H.E.B. reported that an unidentified female shoplifted approx. $70 worth of items. #4 – A vehicle parked at the U.S. Post Office was the victim of an attempted catalytic converter theft. #5 – A burglary of a vehicle was reported at Best Western, and a window was broken out. A laptop, cell phone, and misc. items were taken. (Please don’t leave valuables in your vehicle if you can keep from it). #6 – Officers responded to H.E.B for the theft of approx. $67.00 worth of merchandise (the suspect was cited and released, see info. under my arrest report).  
     Arrests, we had 3 – #1 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in a DWI arrest. The suspect was booked into the Medina Co. Jail. #2 – A male suspect was cited and released after fleeing the H.E.B. Plus with items valued at $67. He fled on foot and was apprehended on Main St. He took a hair dryer and a charging cube. I’ll never figure out how people come up with the oddest stuff to steal. #3 – Officers on patrol observed a suspect at H.E.B. Plus who had been issued a criminal trespass notice. When confronted, the suspect gave a fictitious name and date of birth. Officers confirmed his identity, and he was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail for criminal trespass and providing false identifying information. Here is my little tip: If you have lived in town your whole life, and all the officers know you …. don’t try the “It is not me” game.  
     The firearm discharge near John Lott Park: On Monday, February 6, officers responded to the 15100 Blk. of Adams St. for a report of “shots fired”. This location is near / adjacent to John Lott Park. Officers determined that a resident fired several shots at a suspect who was committing a burglary of a building. The suspect fled (well, I guess so since somebody was shooting at him). Contrary to the many rumors that began to circulate …. there were no injuries or property damage. The case is under investigation.
     Here is another special event planned for this week: A Community Outreach Fair will be held on Thursday, February 16th at the Lytle Community Center (19031 Priest Blvd). The time will be from 10 AM – 2 PM. Join us and sign up for some amazing assistance programs. Who is eligible to receive assistance? The elderly, veterans, mothers, families, children, and small businesses. Here is just a partial list of programs: Utility assistance, WIC, Life Skills, Counseling, SNAP (food stamps), and Children’s Medicare. Even if you don’t need these services, I am sure you know somebody that does. This is a great opportunity since multiple representatives will be onsite.  
     As always …. feel free to reach out if you have any questions about “policing” in the big city of Lytle. For other information check out the city’s website. For an even quicker glance, the electronic sign in front of the city hall is a good option.  

Here is the latest news from Lytle PD for the week ending January 29th, 2023. Lytle PD officers managed 54 calls for service and conducted 106 traffic stops. 
Those traffic stops resulted in 89 citations and 17 warnings.           
     There was only one arrest last week and it was a cite and release. A traffic stop for an expired registration resulted in the driver being cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.
    Officers took 4 reports for property crimes: #1 – A resident on Cottage St. reported that his push lawn mower was stolen from his driveway, he valued it at $125. I knew it, we get a little rain and now every crook wants a lawn mower. #2 – Criminal Mischief: A window was broken on a vehicle at the Best Western Plus, the damage was estimated at $400. #3 – A suspect attempted to get away with $207 worth of merchandise at H.E.B. Plus. The property was recovered by H.E.B. The suspect left before the arrival of the officers. #4 – A 2010 Ford Econoline Van was stolen from the 19300 Blk. of McDonald St. It was recovered, abandoned up the road in Bexar Co.
     The 2010 Ford 1-ton Econoline van just wasn’t any van, it belonged to my mom! Yep, mom called Saturday morning yelling that somebody stole her van. It was located later that night in Bexar Co. The lock was busted, the steering column was busted, etc. They drove it for a little bit and realized the gas mileage is terrible, parked it, and walked away.  
     Our officers assisted with two “bailouts” involving human smuggling. One was north of the city, where we assisted the Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s Dept. The other was south of the city, and we assisted the Texas Highway Patrol with that one.   
     Last week I was in Huntsville for my week of required police chief training, I am required to attend a 40-hour block once during every two-year training cycle. There were about 50 chiefs in attendance for this session. Lots of municipal chiefs, followed by many ISD police departments, and there were 4 university/community college chiefs as well. I rubbed elbows and chatted with a bunch of big city chiefs….like Eddie Garcia (Dallas PD), Neil Noakes (Fort Worth PD), Claudio Trevino Jr. (Laredo PD), and David Gonzales (Leon Valley PD). One would think you had to be pretty smart to achieve such a high position….. those guys had all week to ask me for advice and never did! So, I guess that is proof that they are pretty smart.

• Richey 

What happened in Lytle last week? I’m glad you asked: Lytle PD officers handled 59 calls for service for the week ending on Sunday January 22.  Your officers conducted 88 traffic stops, those stops resulted in 74 citatIons and 14 warnings. 
Property Crimes:  We only had one possible property crime reported.  A Main St. resident reported his .380 handgun was missing.    
     Arrests:  Officers made three arrests last week:  #1 – A 16 year old male juvenile was detained for assault causing bodily injury (family violence).  He was transported to the Atascosa Co. Juvenile Detention Center.

2 – Officers responded to a report of a driver that was asleep behind the wheel of a moving vehicle!  Ofc. A. Lopez made contact with person and he woke up and sped off towards La Coste.  After a short pursuit he was taken into custody.  The suspect had four active felony warrants and was in possession of a loaded firearm (which is a no-no since he is a convicted felon).  He was booked into the Medina Co. Jail.  

3 –  A traffic stop by Sgt. Hanson on S. Somerset St. resulted in the driver being arrested for DWI. The driver was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.   

In other news:  
     On Monday, January 16, officers responded to a single vehicle accident on IH-35.  Sadly, the driver did not survive.  He was the sole the occupant.   
     On Thursday, January 19, officers assisted Medina Co. S.O. with a pursuit that resulted in a “bailout”. Of the 10 that fled, 4 were apprehended.  The incident occurred at IH-35 and FM 3175.   
   On the personal side…… I took the three oldest kids over to Beaumont last weekend for a youth conference.   In true Southeast Texas fashion it was cold and rainy, it took me a few minutes to remember what rain was.   

Last week your Lytle PD officers handled 57 calls for service and conducted 86 traffic stops. Officers issued 75 citations with 11 warnings.
Arrests: Officers only had one arrest last week. Ofc. J. Cortez stopped a vehicle on Main St. for speeding and determined the driver to be intoxicated. He was arrested for DWI. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
Property Crimes (5 reported): #1 – A mini-storage unit on S. Somerset St. was burglarized. The victim reported that 5 inflatable Halloween decorations were taken, valued at $500. #2 – The construction company doing site work on the Rosewood Subdivision (on FM 2790) reported a $50,000 Caterpillar wheel loader was taken. They were tracking it on GPS, which was found abandoned on Smith Road in Bexar Co. before we could even finish the report. #3 – A person staying at the hotel reported that a window to their vehicle was broken out, and nothing was missing from inside. #4 – A business owner in the 15000 blk. of Main St. reported that a security light was “shot” out. #5 – Officers observed a vehicle with two open doors on Houston St. Contact was made with the owner, who stated a “junk box” was taken and they didn’t want to file any report. I love it when criminals steal worthless items.
In other news …. It looks like the Adoption event at the Lytle Animal Care and Control center was a success. It appears that 7 dogs and 1 cat found new homes! One dog also found a foster home as well. I stopped by the event for a few minutes and saw that our city animal control staff as well as volunteers from Lytle Animal Allies were really busy answering questions and showcasing the animals. They had a bake sale going on too. I was able to resist, but Sgt. David Lopez opted for a brownie.
Hit and run! On Friday night, Ofc. Luis Diaz was patrolling Live Oak St. when out of nowhere a deer tried to jump over the hood of our police Dodge Charger. Luis was surprised, to say the least, the dashcam didn’t record what he said, that’s probably a good thing. His windshield was busted out but other than that there was no damage! The deer just slid across the hood and kept on going. We feel that was just a random incident, we have no credible information to lead us to believe that this was a planned attack on a police vehicle by members of DAPA (Deer Anti-Police Association).
Last Wednesday I celebrated my 23rd wedding anniversary! My wife has been on this police chief journey with me for a long time. That journey has included; lots of missed plans because of work emergencies, tons of phone calls that roll in 24/7, and of course the general stress of this type of work. My kids have been along for a lot of the ride as well and they too have stories to tell. I am blessed to be married to a strong Christian woman who has done more than her share to take care of my family while I am trying to take care of Lytle.
I worked this weekend and it sure was nice to see a lot of people outside, the weather was really nice. During the heat of the summer, people stayed inside. You could drive down street after street and the only people you would see, if you were lucky, was somebody going from their vehicle to the house at a brisk pace. It was like we enacted a daytime, severe heat curfew and included a provision prohibiting rain.

Okay, this just might be a record; our officers only handled 33 calls for service last week! In their spare time officers conducted 100 traffic stops, those stops resulted in 81 citations and 19 warnings.
Property Crimes: It looks like we only had one report last week; it was a shoplifter at H.E.B. Plus. A female made off with approx. $30 worth of cosmetics. It looks like our criminal element is off to a slow start for 2023.
Arrests: Only one arrest last week too! A concerned citizen reported a reckless driver on Main St. and officers located the vehicle and observed him travel in the wrong lane of traffic on Benton City Rd. The driver was arrested for DWI and booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
I have lots of information to share this week, so here we go:
Our friends over at Lytle Animal Care and Control have a big adoption event planned for Saturday, January 14th. The event will be held at their facility (17971 W. FM 2790 South) from 10 AM-2 PM. Special pricing too! $25 includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, and a microchip.
In a world where prices have skyrocketed, this is a really good deal. If you are looking to provide a dog or cat with a forever home, this is a great opportunity. Be sure and tell your friends and family about this event, as far as I know, the special pricing is valid for this Saturday only.
Our friends at City Hall are firing back up the Quarterly Senior Citizen meeting and luncheon. The first one of this year will be on Thursday, January 19th at noon. This is a great opportunity for our senior citizens to meet, fellowship, and eat. Come see some old friends or make some new ones. The event is held at the Horace Fincher Center on Priest Blvd. Please RSVP by 3 PM on Monday, January 16, to Paola Rios at city hall by email (paola.rios@lytletx.org) or call 830-709-3692 Ext. 109. It’s open to Lytle Residents; I’m not even going to ask what age makes you a senior citizen. You can contact city hall for that info. I will wait to see what’s on the menu, if it looks good, I may “con” my mom into picking up a plate for me.
It wouldn’t be a complete weekly report if I didn’t include some sort of traffic/construction update. So, here it is (this is “big” so pay attention): Starting on Wednesday, January 11th, the southbound access/frontage road from FM 2790 to FM 3175 will convert to one-way. It will be southbound only. To put it like a guy like me understands “The road in front of Bill Millers BBQ will be one-way, going south only…like towards Natalia”. This isn’t permanent; it’s just during the construction which will take several months. We have been dealing with this on the opposite side of the interstate but the traffic flow over there is much less. I am sure it will be interesting. On the bright side, the access roads will be much nicer once all this work is done, I hope I’m still alive to see it completed.
I was out sick most of last week. I spent a few days in bed and then slowly began to recover. Mostly a sore throat, congestion, and tired. I got worried for a little bit; I thought I was like old Bill Murray in that Groundhog Day movie from the early 90s. (He is caught in a time loop and relives the same day over and over.) That’s because every time I woke up and checked the news for several days it was the same thing…. they were taking a vote on the Speaker of the House. Until next week

Welcome to my first weekly report of 2023! Some numbers from last week: Officers handled a total of 65 service calls and conducted 136 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 113 citations and 23 warnings.
We have been very fortunate that we had very few property crimes reported during the holiday season. Normally, thefts and vehicle burglaries rise for various reasons. People are busy and more distracted; they tend to leave more valuables in their vehicles and pay less attention to what is going on around them. We also have a lot of travelers that pass-through town, some just stopping to shop and others staying at the hotel. So, we have been blessed. For example, this week we only had one possible property crime and it was related to a disturbance at a residence and involved damaged property. We can keep this rolling if citizens stay alert and report suspicious activity. Lock your vehicles and keep your valuables out of sight or better yet, don’t leave them in your vehicle.
Our officers made four arrests this past week, the result of three traffic stops. #1 – Ofc. Pena arrested a female for DWI; she was stopped for driving on the shoulder and was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – Sgt. David Lopez conducted a traffic stop for an expired motor vehicle registration on FM 463. The driver told Sgt. Lopez that he had “warrants” and when Lopez went to detain him observed a .45 cal. Handgun in a shoulder holster. Sgt. Lopez secured the weapon and determined that the suspect had an active felony parole violator warrant. He was a convicted felon and could not legally possess the handgun. He was arrested for Felon in a Possession of a Firearm and booked into the Medina Co. Jail. Ofc. A. Lopez was nearby and responded quickly for backup. Fortunately, this fellow went peacefully. With a parole warrant and another felony, this guy is headed back to prison for sure, had he opted for a way out …. this incident could have ended in tragedy. Arrests #3 & #4 – On January 1st, Ofc. Anthony Lopez conducted a traffic stop for an expired motor vehicle registration on Lytle-Somerset St. and determined the female driver had an active theft warrant out of Bexar Co. Further investigation determined that the male passenger was in possession of cocaine (Haven’t seen that in while, what is this the 80’s?) and THC wax (both felonies). The couple was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. What a way to start off the New Year.
We sent out our first community alert due to a “bailout” of migrants from a police stop. At about 6:30 AM on Friday a State Trooper stopped a Ford F150 and approx. 10-12 individuals fled into the wooded area between TXN Bank and Best Western. Our officers searched the area but were unable to locate them. Our intent is to let residents know so they can keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Often the migrants end up injured and need medical help too.
On Sunday our officers assisted another Trooper that stopped a vehicle on IH-35 and detained 5 immigrants. Since all were detained, no notice was sent out.
Lytle PD fielded a 4-man crew to ring in the New Year. Officers stayed busy and gave numerous warnings for fireworks violations. No serious incidents occurred and overall, it was a safe transfer into 2023. I often work on New Year’s Eve but this year I stayed at home, I guess I was asleep by about 10 PM. I was feeling a bit under the weather, but I would have gone to bed early anyway. I didn’t get called in the middle of the night, which is always a good sign.
I am looking forward to a fun-filled year! We still have our big Stripes C-Store that is set to open in March or so and the big truck stop out on FM 3175 @ IH-35 should start construction soon too. We still have lots of road construction on the access roads of the interstate ahead of us as well. If that doesn’t sound like fun, I don’t know what is. Don’t forget the all the subdivisions construction… I am about ready to proclaim 2023 as the year of “traffic congestion”.