Lots of activity this past week. Officers handled 59 calls for service and conducted 72 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 48 citations and 24 warnings.
Here is what we did last week…..Monday Nov. 18 – Lt. Dear was off-duty and observed a suspect from a prior theft prowling around a business. He followed the suspect and notified me. We got him stopped it was determined he had two active felony theft warrants! Good job Lt. Dear, but don’t put in for the hour OT since it wasn’t pre-approved. On Nov. 19, Capt. Reyes and I responded to the HEB Plus for a shoplifter. We cited the fellow for stealing diapers and beer, other than that he was a real nice guy. He said he moved here from California because there were no jobs and the rent was too high. On Nov. 20 Ofc. Lopez took a report of a tire & wheel stolen off a vehicle while parked at Whataburger. The victim was an employee and when she came outside after her shift, she saw her car was on a block and a tire & wheel were missing! I guess somebody broke down and since no tire shops were open they did some shopping and found a match. Later that night Ofc. Lopez conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver for having an active warrant and for giving a false name and DOB. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to pull one over on us. On Nov. 21 Sgt. Hanson arrested a suspect for DWI after conducting a traffic stop on the access road of IH-35. Lt. Dear also booked a wanted person (felony domestic violence warrant) into the Medina Co. Jail, Lt. Dear had reached out to him to turn himself in at an agreed upon time and he did. It’s nice when people keep their appointments. Lt. Dear headed from the Medina Co. Jail over to Atascosa Co. Juvenile Detention and processed a 16 year old male on a burglary charge that stemmed from an incident at Brown’s Tackle and Gun the prior week. Capt. Reyes took three property crime reports. Graffiti on a sign at John Lott Park, graffiti on a street sign on Laredo St. and the theft of three of the city’s Christmas decorations on McDonald St. at the old vacant pizza place building. Somebody took Darth Vader, C3PO and a Storm Trooper! They left R2D2 and Yoda behind. Those thieves should be ashamed of themselves, stealing decorations and splitting up a Star Wars family.
Again, this year the Lytle Police Dept. is partnering with the Lytle Chamber of Commerce for their annual Blue Santa Event. Numerous businesses will have boxes out collecting gifts. Gifts will be collected through Dec. 18 and the plan is for the PD and FD to help deliver gifts on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. They will accept new unwrapped toys, clothes or books. This is a program to help those kids that otherwise might not get a Christmas gift.
One of the city’s biggest events is this Saturday. I’m referring to the Christmas Hayride which will be held at the Lytle Comm. Center on Priest Blvd. The Hayride kicks off at 6 PM (admission to the hayride is $1 or a canned good). This year the city is adding some “kick” to the hayride event. There will be a Holiday Market inside the Community Center starting at 3 PM and ending after the last hayride. There will be vendors selling gifts and cool items as well as the Lytle 4H selling drinks and the Lytle ISD Band will handle the concession stand (great time to come support our youth). Admission to the event is free, so do a little shopping and pick up a snack while you wait for the hayride to start. Be sure and have a camera available because Santa will be there and you can get some pictures for Christmas. Cut out the middle man, no need to go to the mall…..what a bargain.