Category: Tid Bits by Richie Priest

It’s that time again; the weeks just keep flying by. Here is what went on in the 7-day period that ended on Sunday, June 5th: Officers managed 48 calls for service, it was nice to have a little slowdown. Officers conducted 93 traffic stops of those stops 69 citations were issued and 24 warnings were given. It looks like since officers had fewer calls to manage, they had more time to focus on traffic enforcement. It works out that way sometimes.
There was only one person arrested last week. A 24-year-old female was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail on a charge of Assault Causing Bodily Injury to a Family Member.
There were four property crimes reported last week: #1 – $900 worth of baseball equipment was taken from an unlocked vehicle on Wisdom Rd. #2 – The back door to an abandoned farmhouse on FM 2790 was kicked in, nothing appeared missing. #3 – A suspect took off with 2 12-packs of beer from the Dollar General. That’s a good “old-fashioned” beer run; it’s nice to see some things don’t change. #4 – H.E.B. Plus reported that a man walked out of the store with a basket full of stuff valued at approx. $200. If we catch that dude, I want to talk to him. I would love to figure out how he can fill a whole basket and it only is $200.
It was not too bad of a week. We are looking at a long, sweltering summer; maybe our crooks will take a sabbatical until it cools down.
Don’t forget the 4th of July Fireworks at John Lott Park. The event is shaping up nicely, you can stop by for the show at dark or show up a little early, enjoy food trucks, and live entertainment.
Last week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended the Texas Div. of Emergency Management annual conference in San Antonio. I guess the last one was in 2019, thanks to COVID. Mayor Gonzalez, Matt Dear and Ofc. David Lopez also attended. We attended seminars, met with vendors, and made professional connections. We also got free pencils and little bottles of hand sanitizer. Keeping the city prepared for emergencies, both man-made and natural, is no easy task. We are constantly trying to improve and enhance our preparation, response, and recovery abilities.
I then took a couple of days of leave and headed out with the family to visit my wife’s sister and her family in Livingston, TX. We attended a homeschool conference in the Woodlands. We attended seminars, met with vendors, and made connections. We also got free pencils and little bottles of hand sanitizer.
So, one conference to help me with my job in the city and then one to help me in my role as a father. With both having 20 oz. bottled soft drinks for $4.50.

Lytle PD ended last week with 64 calls for service and 41 traffic stops (33 citations and 8 warnings).
Officers made 6 arrests last week. The majority were just cited and released. There were 3 for drug paraphernalia and 1 for possession of tobacco by someone under 21. A suspect was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant out of Bexar Co., but he had a medical condition, and he was taken to the hospital and released so he could receive care. We will have to catch him again another day. Sgt. Hanson made a great arrest last week …. he caught a car burglar in action at the Best Western. It was 4:33 AM and he found a guy breaking into a pickup. The suspect was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. That’s good police work.
Property Crimes: H.E.B. Plus reported two thefts. On one theft a suspect attempted to push out a basket full of stuff, but he wasn’t successful. The other was a person who took off with an AC unit valued at $169. They took off in a black Ford F250. It’s awful hot outside, I would suspect this won’t be our last AC theft (and we have the whole summer in front of us). John’s Small Engine repair reported a theft by check incident; the check was for $268.06. The final property crime of the week was criminal mischief at McDonald’s. An employee reported that a window to her vehicle had been broken out.
Fourth of July Fireworks Update: The city will be partnering with the Lytle Chamber of Commerce to make our event even better. It looks like there will be food trucks set up as well as live entertainment. The event will be on Monday, July 4th at John Lott Park. The fireworks are normally set off as soon as it gets dark. I am sure there will be more details to follow. For me, fireworks are okay…. but I don’t have to have them. For me, food trucks are a little more enjoyable.
Tragedy in Uvalde: A horrible situation that hit close to home. On the local front, Lytle PD provided heavy patrols to our schools and assisted with numerous events as they worked to close out the year. Sheriff’s deputies from Atascosa Co. and Medina Co. were also out in force. While there were no specific threats, hopefully, the increased police presence helped ease the tension. We will continue to collaborate with the school to provide support as needed.
We are fortunate to have effective communication with our school leaders. When the Superintendent’s name comes up on my cell phone it is normally something important. She has never called to say “Hi, this week I’m randomly checking in on LHS class of 1988 graduates”.
Matt Dear is adjusting to his role at city hall as the City Administrator, he has lots of projects he is working on and is going a 100 MPH! He told me it is different down at city hall compared to the police department. He said they don’t even have a nap time or watch TV! What a bummer place to work.

Last week at Lytle PD …. We had 66 calls for service and conducted 77 traffic stops. Those traffic stops resulted in 58 citations and 19 warnings.
Officers made 5 arrests last week, and all of them were from traffic stops. #1 – The driver stopped on Main St. had an active felony warrant for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (Bexar Co.). He was transported to the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – A traffic stop on Lytle-Somerset St. resulted in a “cite and release” for possession of drug paraphernalia. #3 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a male for possession of a controlled substance (meth). He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #4 – A traffic stop on Wisdom Rd. resulted in a “cite and release” for possession of drug paraphernalia. #5 – A traffic stop on Lytle-Somerset resulted in an arrest for Driving While License Invalid w/a prior conviction. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
Officers took reports of 3 property crimes last week. #1 – A victim reported that their mini-storage unit was forcibly entered, and two baby crib mattresses valued at $60 were missing. I would classify that as an “odd” theft for sure. #2 – A N. Prairie St. resident reported that the back window of her vehicle had been “busted” out. It looks as if someone hit it with a bat or pipe. #3 – While on patrol, officers noticed that paintballs had struck the glass storefront windows of Little Caesars, Sun Loan, Twin Liquors, and Lytle Nail and Spa (they are all next to each other in the same shopping strip). There was no damage to the windows.
If you have been down Somerset St., you might notice the new 25 MPH signs. Public Works recently completed the installation. Diaz St., N. Prairie, and N. Benton are scheduled to have signs installed in the future as well. Please keep an eye out and watch your speed.
Lytle-Somerset St. was the first to have the 25 MPH signs installed. We compared the old and the new data from our speed trailer, and it shows that reducing the speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH resulted in the average speed being reduced by 5 MPH. So that is good news if it works on all the other streets targeted for 25 MPH limits.
What else is happening? A big fireworks show is planned for Monday, July 4th. The event will be held at John Lott Park, it has been two years since we put on a show. It is one of the most popular events the city host.
We are also looking forward to our first National Night Out event since 2019! It will be on the first Tuesday in Oct. (the 4th). Yes, I know it is still a long way off. I am already preparing the menu. We usually provide hotdogs and soft drinks at our NNO event, but with the rising cost of food I may be reduced to serving just crackers and water and the water wouldn’t even be bottled.

We caught a little break this week, only 47 calls! Officers conducted 38 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 24 citations and 14 warnings.
We had three arrests last week: #1 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in a “cite and release” for possession of drug paraphernalia. #2 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a male that had an active family violence warrant out of Harris Co. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #3 – A roadside disturbance on Main St. resulted in the arrest of a male for assaulting his common-law wife. He also had three active warrants out of Frio Co. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
We also had three property crimes reported last week. A First St. resident reported that a residence had been burglarized. So far, we haven’t been able to contact the victim to confirm the burglary. #2 – The toilet paper holder in the men’s room at John Lott Park was damaged. #3 – A sink was damaged in the men’s room at John Lott Park. We are working on the vandalism at the restroom, this week the damage was more minor. We welcome any information you can provide as to who may be responsible. It’s very frustrating and makes no sense.
Overall, last week was not that bad. Hopefully, we will see a slow down this summer; maybe the heat will keep the crooks at home.
What else is new? It appears we will be getting an IHOP at the planned truck stop on FM 3175 @ IH-35 Access Rd. This location is not yet under construction, but it is in the planning phases, I believe it will be a Road Ranger. I think this will be a terrific addition to our city. We can solve a lot of problems by the strategic use of a blueberry pancake eating contest.
Lt. Matthew Dear is headed down to city hall. He will be the interim City Administrator for 6 months, if all goes well the position will be permanent. If he is successful, I will take full credit for his advancement. If it doesn’t work out, I will tell the mayor and city council “What were you thinking.”
Don’t forget the Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Food Truck Rally and a market at the Lytle High School this Saturday. It will run from 11 AM – 7 PM, at the event last year I ate too much and spent too much money (Which sounds like the story of my life).

Lytle PD officers handled 69 calls for service last week, it was another busy week. There were 42 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 33 citations and 9 warnings.
I will start off with arrests from last week (we had three): On May 3rd, a traffic stop resulted in the driver being cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia. On May 4th, a father and son duo were both arrested for reckless driving, the father also had an assault warrant out of Bexar Co. Both were booked into the Medina Co. Jail. They each were in their own vehicles and the road rage disturbance started up in Bexar Co. They were headed south on Main St. and the officer observed them trying to run each other off the road. Hopefully, they can resolve their problems by Father’s Day.
Property crimes ranged from $15 to $20K (we had four reported). A construction company doing work on the city water system had a 25 ft. PJ gooseneck trailer taken from water tower #2 (FM 2790 @ FM 463). The theft occurred between 4/28 and 5/2. The trailer was valued at $20K. Officers took a report of graffiti at the John Lott Park, both the concession stand restrooms were “tagged”. An Oak St. resident reported that her trash can was missing.
The 4th and final property crime deserves a paragraph to itself. On Sunday night (Mother’s Day), officers responded to the H.E.B. Plus for a theft. Our suspect had already departed with a floral arrangement valued at $15. He fled when confronted by a manager as he tried to exit the store. I have said it before, and I will say it again “Nothing says I love you mom like stolen flowers.” But our story doesn’t end there. In his haste to escape our suspect left behind his dog in a shopping cart! So, did he steal the flowers or just trade his dog for them? Animal control was contacted and took custody of the dog (a small Shih Tzu). The dog isn’t facing any charges, as we can’t prove he engaged in the theft. But the story doesn’t end there either. Animal Control checked the dog for a “chip” and found it had been missing from a residence in Bexar Co. for 2 years. It was released to the original owner. So, our dog is back home safe. Hopefully, the dog hasn’t been on 2-year crime spree and picked up bad habits.
The city election has come and gone, Ruben Gonzalez was re-elected as Mayor and Michael Rodriguez will fill the Alderman District 4 Seat (the incumbent Jerry Stone is retiring and did not seek re-election). Be it Mayor, City Council, or city staff with all the growth our hands will be full. Before you know it, we will be rid of all those political signs, at least for a few months.

Lytle PD officers managed 73 calls for service last week, which is on the high side. If it is not a record, it would be close. There were 48 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 42 citations and 6 warnings.
Our officers handled a few interesting arrests last week. Here are the simple ones: Two different traffic stops resulted in the drivers being cited and released for possession of drug paraphernalia. There were also two traffic stops that resulted in warrant arrests. A 31 YOA female had marijuana possession warrant out of Medina Co., she was transported to the Medina Co. Jail in Hondo, or as we call it the “Hondo Hilton”. A 56 YOA female was arrested for a prostitution warrant out of Bexar Co., she was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail, sorry …. We don’t have a clever nickname for that one.
These are a little more interesting: On Wednesday, April 27 at 1:42 AM Sgt. Hanson stopped a 2004 Ford F250 and discovered it to be stolen out of San Antonio. The driver was detained; there was also a female occupant. During the incident, dispatched reported a 911 call for woman being chased by a man with a gun at H.E.B. A Medina Co. Deputy checked on it for us and nobody up there saw anything. Sgt. Hanson was able to determine that the female passenger called 911 in hopes Hanson would let them go and head to the call. Her phone number showed up on the 911 call as did her location, she didn’t think that one through very well. So, Hanson booked them both into the Atascosa Co. Jail, him for the stolen vehicle and her for the false 911 call. Sgt. Hanson, assisted by A. Lopez, was at it again at 12:23 AM on Sunday May 1st. They located a vehicle leaving the Saddle Ridge subdivision loaded with lumber sticking out the back of a Suburban. This wasn’t our first time dealing with lumber theft in that new subdivision. The occupants claim they bought if from a guy named “Jose” and he wouldn’t answer the phone. People see all those new homes under construction and all that lumber, and I guess it’s just too much temptation (Like me at a Chinese food buffet).
In other activity: A prescription was picked up at the H.E.B. Pharmacy using deception. All parties have been identified and charges are pending. We also had a report of a possible, attempted vehicle burglary at Lytle Apartments on Main St. We are waiting on additional information. We didn’t have any other confirmed thefts or property crimes reported.
We have a city election on this Saturday, May 7. The location for voting is city hall; the polls will be open from 7 AM – 7 PM. The mayor has an opponent in his re-election bid and two new candidates are running for District 4 Alderperson. All qualified voters in the city limits can vote for in the mayor’s race and only those living in district 4 can vote for the council member position.
Use caution when travelling around the IH-35 corridor access roads. TXDOT’s construction project in under way and you will see temporary one-way roads, etc. Please pay attention to the warning signs.
It’s different then when I moved here in 1984, I could write a country ballad about all the changes. I already have lyrics running through my mind.

Your friends at Lytle PD responded to 64 calls for service last week. Officers conducted 36 traffic stops, 33 were citations and 3 were warnings.
Property crimes – Here is what was reported last week: A couple of mini-storage units had their locks cut; items were missing from one of the units. A guy drove into the gate at South Texas Hardware on Main St., he then fled the scene. There was another incident at the park, a partition in the men’s restroom was damaged and a small fire was started in the water fountain dish. H.E.B. Plus also reported an attempted theft; the guy was going to try to take a basket full of stuff but left it by the door and took off. Maybe, he was stealing some stuff for an Easter event and then realized he was a week early.
These are the arrests from last week: #1- A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in a warrant arrest on a male for Driving While License Invalid; the warrant was out of McMullen County. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – Officers responded to a report of an assault on CR 6843, a male was arrested for assault causing bodily injury after he assaulted a co-worker. The male was booked into the Medina Co. Jail. #3 – A male was arrested for striking the gate at South Texas Hardware and then fleeing the scene, officers were able to locate him quickly. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #4 & #5 – Officers responded to John Lott Park for a report of “people smoking marijuana in a vehicle”. The incident resulted in a 17-year-old male being arrested on a felony dope charge and a 32-year-old female being arrested for tampering with evidence (felony) and resisting arrest (misdemeanor). Both were booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #6 – Officers arrested a male for public intoxication; he was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. That’s it for the crime stuff this past week. Property crimes were not too bad, and the arrests were enough to keep us busy.
What else is going on?
The state has started work on the IH-35 access road project, and the intersection of FM 3175 and IH-35 has been shut down. I believe they will move up the FM 2790 and IH-35 next. So that area along IH-35 will be interesting for the next year or so. Who knows, the way we are growing we may have to get accustomed to ongoing TXDOT projects. Doesn’t that just put a smile on your face?
Easter is approaching and this year the egg hunt at the park is back on! After 2 years of no hunting, we are back in action. The event will be Saturday, April 16 from 1P-3P at John Lott Park. Kids ages 1-8 can participate. The registration fee is one canned good or $1 per child. I bet it will be fun and I am hoping that the candy is not from 2019.

We finished out the first week of March with only 48 service calls and 34 traffic stops. Continue reading “Sushi and chocolate milk”

Our call volume was up last week, we responded to 64 calls for service. Continue reading “Vandalism at John Lott Park”

We needed a little break to catch up and last week we got it. Continue reading “Only 40 service calls”