Citizen Single-Handedly Detains Three Burglars Till Police Arrive

Usually when we think of the phrase “citizen’s arrest!” it’s being sung at the top of the lungs of a little old lady holding her nude, faux leather bag over her head, screaming at a youth who might have done something minor that offends her neighborhood space. Like spitting a wad of gum out on the ground or cussing at a viciously barking Chihuahua. That’s how we at LIVE! picture it, anyway.

In contrast to our comical image, a local resident on E 11th St. managed to detain three burglars on Monday morning around 1:00 a.m., whom he’d caught, two of which with gloves on, and one holding a backpack and a pair of bolt cutters.

Officer A. Dietz arrived on the scene just after 1:00 a.m. and responded to the back of the property where he found the three men being detained by the resident.

A detective from the Criminal Investigative Division and the Crime Scene Investigations Unit were called to the location for further investigation.  The three men, 18-year-old Emilio R. Garza, 19-year-old Robert Carrasco Jr. and 30-year-old Mark A. Carrasco had gone onto the victim’s property and forced entry into a locked storage building.

Police found a CD player had been removed from a vehicle that was parked inside the storage building.  The CD player was located and returned to the owner.  The damaged lock to the building was also located on one of the suspects.

Garza and both Carrascos were charged with Burglary of a Building and transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.  In addition to the Burglary charge, M. Carrasco was also charged with outstanding County and City Arrest Warrants.