STAFF REPORT
Still photos taken from security footage during an attempted robbery at the Speedy Stop in Buda were released last week to help police identify the suspects.
Buda police are seeking the names of two Hispanic men who entered the store along Overpass Road around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 17 and tried to steal three six packs of beer, which state law prohibits from sale after midnight.
When the store clerk blocked the exit and confronted them, one of the men punched the clerk twice in the face. Both men then dropped the beer and fled in a black Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by a third male, Police Chief Bo Kidd said.
Less than an hour later, police responded to another theft at Walmart, where two men ran had been reported to running from the store with a six-pack of beer. At about 2:20 a.m., police stopped a vehicle being driven without headlights, which matched the description of the vehicle used in both thefts, Kidd said.
The officer escorted the vehicle’s two passengers into Walmart, where employees identified them as the men that had been seen earlier. Gerardo Arreguin, 18, and Paul Gonzales, 17, both from Buda, were charged with public intoxication and theft under $50. The driver, Cruz Garcia, 23, also of Buda, was charged with driving while intoxicated. None of the men matched the photos from the Speedy Stop case, police say.
Although no weapons were used, police are labeling the Speedy Stop incident as an attempted robbery. When questioned, all three men denied any involvement in the earlier incident, and claimed no knowledge of the other suspects. Police believe that there was a party in town and the same vehicle was used as a getaway car in both thefts.
A cash reward up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspects. Tips can be made anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-324-TIPS (8477).
