Cigarette Butts Give Burglars Away

SAN ANGELO, TX — Early yesterday morning, police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of Colorado Avenue for the report of a burglary. 

Investigating Patrol Officers obtained a detailed description of the stolen property and noted a cigarette butt on the ground where forced entry was made.  

During the field investigation, Officers obtained information about potential suspects who lived nearby.  Upon further inspection of the front of the suspects’ residence, an Officer located the same brand of discarded cigarette butts located at the burglarized residence.  In addition to the discarded butts, the Officer observed personal property inside an outdoor trash can that resembled stolen items described to him by the victim.  

Officers then made contact with a woman at the potential suspects’ residence; however, the woman refused to cooperate with their investigation. Detectives with the Department’s Criminal investigations Division responded to the scene and subsequently applied for a search warrant. Officers detained the woman, later identified as Jessica Storts, 30, of San Angelo. 

As Officers waited for the warrant, a male subject exited the residence.  When the man, Jacob Martinez, 18, of San Angelo, opened his wallet to get his identification, Officers observed two rings that matched the description of stolen rings described by the victim. Officers then detained Martinez.   

Subsequent to the lengthy field investigation and search of the suspects’ residence, Officers located the stolen property and returned it to the victim.  

Storts and Martinez were charged with Burglary of Habitation.  This investigation is currently ongoing.