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.