A young man and woman were pulled over by suspects impersonating police officers around midnight right on the edge of Lytle city limits this past Thursday, July 7th. It happened at Wisdom Road and Ball Road.
“They pulled the victims over using red and blue sirens, according to witnesses. One of the suspects was dressed in a police-like uniform and equipment, and he was armed with a handgun,” said Lytle Police Chief Richey Priest. They had the victims lying down on the ground with zip ties when one of our officers on patrol spotted them. Luckily, nobody got hurt.”
Upon seeing the Lytle PD officer, the suspects fled in their vehicle. The suspects crashed striking a railroad crossing arm at Old Frio City Road and Pearsall Road. At that point they bailed out and fled on foot.
“We have video of what looks like five suspects that fled on foot from the crashed vehicle. They bailed out and ran in all different directions. We do have suspect(s) in this case, and we will be working with the Texas Rangers as we continue this investigation,” Priest added.
A purse, gaming console, jewelry and a handgun were stolen from the victims during the armed robbery.
We discussed what to do if you ever find yourself in a rural area where you feel uncomfortable and cannot see a clearly marked PD car.
“Every situation is different,” Chief Priest said. “If it’s not a marked vehicle and you feel uncomfortable, you might need to just turn on your flashers and slow down until you get to a parking lot or lighted area where you can pull over. Our officers are also aware of that and sometimes we will follow someone until we get to a more well-lit area to make a stop.”
Sheriff Randy Brown adds, “You can call the Sheriff’s Office and they can most likely confirm that it is one of our officers. You’ll need to know where you’re at. If you are in Medina County, call Medina County Sheriff’s Department, or if you’re in Atascosa County, you’ll need to call Atascosa Sheriff’s Department. Slow down, put on your emergency flashers and drive to a place where you feel safe.”