San Angelo Thief Arrested in Connection to 20 Burglaries

A large amount of stolen property and a stolen vehicle have been returned to several San Angelo victims after several ongoing burglary investigations led to the arrest of a 22-year-old San Angelo man last week.

Nov. 17 after a string of vehicle burglaries were reported in the Lake Nasworthy area, SAPD Charles Company Police Patrol Officers T. McGee and J. Fisher went to a housing area near the lake in an attempt to locate the suspect(s). 

While patrolling the area, they were dispatched to the west alley of the 7400 block of Aspen in reference to a suspicious vehicle.  Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle, which had no license plates. 

After checking the vehicle’s registration through dispatch, they learned the 1999 Toyota Camry was reported stolen from the 2200 block of W. Beauregard a few days prior. Upon closer inspection of the car, the officers observed a backpack inside the vehicle that contained several electronic devices. 

Due to the recent vehicle burglaries in that area, the officers believed the burglar(s) might still be in the area, possibly using the stolen vehicle to commit crimes.  Additional patrol units and detectives with the Special Operations Section (SOS) were summoned to the location in order to conduct surveillance on the stolen vehicle. 

A short time later, officers observed a man enter the vehicle and drive off.  Police conducted a Felony Traffic Stop on the vehicle near the 7800 block of Knickerbocker Road.  The driver was taken into custody and identified as Justin Lee Westerman of San Angelo. 

During a search of the vehicle, police located a handgun on the front seat.  Crime Scene Investigations Technicians also responded to the scene to conduct a more detailed search of the vehicle. 

Amongst the items located inside were numerous GPS devices, portable DVD players, ammunition, and tools consistent with those used to commit burglary. 

Westerman was arrested and transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.  He was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  The suspected stolen items were seized and held by police for further investigation.

Subsequent to the arrest, Detective A. Callum and SAPD Crime Analysts began the task of sorting through the suspected stolen items and recently reported burglaries in an attempt to locate the victims.  In addition, SAPD Lake and Park Police obtained surveillance videos from nearby residences, which proved to link Westerman to several of the burglaries. 

Since Westerman’s arrest, investigators have continued to work to return the identified stolen property to the rightful owners.   

The County Attorney may file additional charges on Westerman pending the ongoing investigation of the 20 plus vehicle burglaries police believe Westerman to be responsible for.