Your Lytle P.D. week in review … Officers handled 68 calls for service and conducted 99 traffic stops. Of those stops, 78 resulted in citations and 21 were warnings. I will expand a little on the traffic stops. Fifty-three (53) of the citations were for speeding, with the average speed of 13.13 miles per hour over the limit. The largest amount over the limit this week was 26 miles per hour (71 in a 45), with several others that were over at least 20 MPH. Five of the 53 were for under 10 MPH, with those being 8 and 9 MPH in residential areas. So, if anybody tells you they got a ticket for going 2 or 3 miles over the limit in Lytle, ask to see the ticket.
Officers responded to two reports of property crimes. #1 – A resident on Lonesome Dove reported someone tried to break into a toolbox mounted on a trailer. They didn’t get in, but they did cause $200 in damage. #2 – H.E.B. Plus reported and man and woman shoplifting duo tried to exit the store with a basket full of groceries valued at $385. They fled in a blue 2017 Ford Focus before the officer arrived. They had a little bit of everything in that basket, including whole milk, chicken tenders, duct tape, nitrile gloves, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (those are handy, I must admit), and some paper plates to name a few. The case is under investigation and the items were recovered.
We only made three trips to jail last week. #1 – While on patrol, a vehicle passed Ofc. John Cortez on the improved shoulder (never a good idea). Ofc. Cortez stopped the vehicle and determined the 26-year-old male driver was intoxicated; his passenger (a 24-year-old male) was intoxicated as well. The driver was booked for DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon and the passenger was booked for public intoxication. #2 – A 29-year-old female was arrested for criminal trespass at Whataburger and booked into the Atascosa Co. jail. #3 – A 26-year-old male was arrested at the H.E.B. C-Store parking lot for D.W.I. He was also booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. Officers also issued two citations for possession of drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop. The two 18-year-old males were cited and released.
Scammers never give up; you can’t let your guard down. Just this week a resident reported that he received a call that he would be arrested if he didn’t produce $50,000! I would have told the caller to go ahead and pick me up, I don’t want to miss any meals at the jail!
Can you believe the 4th of July is just next week? We will have impressive fireworks at John Lott Park on the 4th. There will be food trucks too. Get there early and bring a chair if you are meticulous about where you want to be. Admission is free, parking is free and there will be a disc jockey (they might accept tips, I don’t know). The fireworks start around 9 PM. You can bring your coolers as well, but keep in mind that glass bottles are prohibited in the park so leave the glass at home.
The discharge of fireworks in the city limits is prohibited. Yes, I know you see and hear them. We do what we can to enforce the ordinance, so it is best to call our dispatcher (the Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s Office) and have them send an officer out if you want to report the illegal discharge of fireworks. The number to call is 830-769-3434, Option #1. Hopefully, you see our units out on tipatrol; my goal is for us to be as visible as all the Amazon vans we see around town. I doubt I will reach that goal.