By Moses Leos III
Two Kyle teens were arrested early Sunday after they were suspected of breaking into multiple cars, and then stealing a vehicle in a Kyle neighborhood.
Raven Issac Barrientes, 17, and Gabriel Escobar, 18, of Kyle, were booked into the Hays County Jail Sunday on six charges of burglary of a vehicle, which are a Class-A misdemeanor. Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said two additional burglary of a vehicle charges will be added.
Escobar was also booked on a charge of unlawful carry of a weapon, a Class-A misdemeanor, and Class-B misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.
Barnett said Kyle Police was dispatched to the Sunset Ridge subdivision along FM 150 east around 3 a.m. Sunday after residents claimed they saw two “suspicious people” walking around.
Police went to the neighborhood, but initially did not locate the suspects, Barnett said.
After police responded to an unrelated accident, they returned to the neighborhood after a resident called in and said someone was stealing a 2007 Toyota Prius from a home in the 700 block of Harvest Moon Parkway. An investigation revealed the teens were able to steal the vehicle after they discovered a spare key in a second unlocked vehicle on the property.
Police began searching for the vehicle after they were given a description.
A short time later, police were dispatched to a car accident in the 400 block of Masonwood Drive, where a Prius matching the stolen vehicle crashed into an unoccupied Ford Explorer, Barnett said. Officers detained two men who they saw were walking away from the scene of the accident.
After interviewing them, police discovered the two were allegedly responsible for the vehicle burglaries. Barnett said each teen had a backpack that allegedly contained items stolen from vehicles in Sunset Ridge.
Recovered items included multiple pairs of sunglasses, phone chargers, cell phones, a Nintendo game machine and other miscellaneous items, Barnett said.
Escobar was found to have an illegal knife longer than 5 and ½ inches.
Barnett said both teens allegedly broke into the vehicles by pulling on unlocked doors.
He stressed the need for reisdents to lock their car doors at all times and to remove valuables from the vehicle.
“Be sure to take valuables, including keys to that or other vehicles, with you,” Barnett said. “Hiding valuables from sight won’t keep a burglar away.”
Escobar is being held on $30,000 bond, while Barrientes is being held on $31,000 bond.
