Habitual Criminal Indicted by a Grand Jury for Stealing Another Vehicle

SAN ANGELO— A San Angelo man has been indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for unauthorized use of a vehicle after stealing a couple’s car in October.

According to court documents, on October 16, 2022, San Angelo police officers responded to the 1700 block of Eckert Street regarding an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle report. It was learned that the owner of the vehicle reported a 2014 Ford Expedition stolen. The victim had attended a family get together and parked the vehicle with the keys left inside.

The victim and her husband noticed an unknown male sitting near the road on a culvert and the husband flashed a flashlight towards the man who flashed a cellphone back at the husband. The couple went to bed and in the morning, they found their vehicle gone.

On October 17, 2022, a witness stated his family’s vehicle stolen the day before. The witness located and recovered the vehicle off of Pulliam Street and notified the San Angelo Police Department. The keys were not with the vehicle. Later, the victim noticed transactions on her husband’s bank card from a “Noah Silva” who was attempting to transfer money from the husband’s account to Silva’s account.

The witness was able to put a face of the person who stole the victim’s vehicle. Going back to where the vehicle was recovered, the witness observed a male he believed to be Silva. The witness called out Silva’s name and the man acknowledged. Then, the witness asked if he could talk to Silva to which Silva said, “What about?’.

The witness asked for the keys to the vehicle and Silva allegedly said he was messed up that night and apologized. The witness told Silva to do the right thing and Silva allegedly replied that as long as the police were not called, he would bring back the keys, key ring, and school ID badge.

Silva was asked by the witness why he kept the keys if he left the vehicle to which Silva replied he would have used the vehicle again if it was still there. In the end, Silva never returned the keys. Silva allegedly acknowledged to taking the vehicle.

Investigators spoke with the witness on October 27, 2022, and the witness sent the investigator both Facebook and Tom Green County Jail photos of Silva. The witness recognized the tattoos on Silva from photos from Facebook. Investigators believed that was probable cause enough that Silva did take the vehicle without permission from the victim.

Silva was arrested on November 8, 2022 and is currently still an inmate at the Tom Green County Detention Facility.

This is not the first time Silva has been in trouble with law enforcement. Silva has been arrested several time for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest.