San Angelo Police Arrest Armed Robbery Suspect

SAN ANGELO, TX – An officer with the San Angelo Police Department was dispatched to a residence near the 1900 block of La Cruz St. on Aug. 21 following the report of an aggravated robbery.

When the officer arrived on scene he spoke with a witness who stated that she had received a 'facetime' phone call from the victim, later identified as Sebastian Mata, who told her that five people broke into the house, took an unspecified amount of cash, and shot him before leaving the home. 

Upon further investigation it was determined that the witness arrived at the scene and saw blood at the residence, but was unable to locate the victim who was not at the residence at the time of the facetime.

During a follow-up investigation investigators returned to the incident scene where they met with the victim in order to gather additional information about the robbery that occurred.

In his interview the victim stated that he was sitting in the living room of the residence that evening when the front door was kicked in.

The victim said that four or five subjects entered the residence, forced him to the ground, and began demanding that he keep his head down as they threatened to kill him if he looked up. 

During the robbery the victim claims that he was struck several times in the head and shoulders with a handgun which caused the victim to sustain non-fatal bodily injuries.

The victim claimed that the subject's actions placed him in imminent fear for his life, as well as his son's, who was asleep in a bedroom at the residence during the course of the robbery, according to the report.

The victim said the subjects stole approximately $4,500.00 in cash from the residence without his consent, also noting that he recognized one of the suspects who he positively identified as the defendant, Daniel Barrera. 

Investigators retrieved surveillance footage from a neighboring business that covered the front of the victim's house.

In the recovered footage investigators observed the white four door sedan arrive at the residence at approximately 8:22 p.m. on the evening of Aug. 21, where three subjects with face coverings were seen approaching the residence before forcing entry into the home. 

The three subjects were seen exiting the residence and leaving in the white sedan just three minutes later at 8:25 p.m. 

Investigators observed that one of the subjects carrying a white backpack from the residence, as the victim was seen chasing after the subjects as they fled the scene.

When investigators spoke with the victim he confirmed that a white and black Jordan brand backpack had been taken during the robbery. 

Investigators obtained a SnapChat video recording that showed five subjects inside the interior compartment of a sedan style vehicle, where a back seat passenger of the vehicle wearing a black and gray striped sweater with a dark colored hat was identified by the victim as being the suspect, Daniel Barrera. 

Investigators also noted that one of the other passengers who was sitting in the back middle seat of the vehicle was in possession of the previously reported stolen white and black backpack.

When the victim observed the same SnapChat video he was able to identify the defendant by name, as well as confirm that the backpack seen in the video was in fact his white and black backpack that was stolen during the course of the robbery. 

Barrera was arrested on September 23 at approximately 10:57 p.m. by authorities with the San Angelo Police Department where he was charged for aggravated robbery, and initially held without bond. 

Berrera is in the Tom Green County Jail in lieu of $50,000.00 bond.