Man Arrested for Weekend Burglary, Deadly Conduct Identified

At around 9:45 p.m. Saturday night, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 1700 block of Loganwood Drive for a report of shots fired by a man wearing a dark suit. While en route, Officers also learned the man fired a handgun towards a neighbor’s garage. This man, now identified as Miguel Hernandez Tapia, 41, of Kansas, was arrested Saturday night after he burglarized a residence and shot a vehicle parked in a neighboring garage, said Officer Tracy Gonzalez, public information officer for the San Angelo Police Department.

Officer R. Espinoza, who first arrived on the scene, observed Tapia, in his dark three-piece suit, leaving a residence with a suitcase. Because he believed the man was in the process of burglarizing the home, Officer Espinoza called additional officers to the scene. These officers quickly established a perimeter of the property and the team searched the house and the surrounding area for additional suspects; however, none were located.

While processing the scene for evidence, police and Crime Scene Investigations located a handgun and spent shell casings inside the garage, multiple bullet holes inside the living area of the home, and the homeowners recovered property inside Tapia’s clothing. Gonzalez also said SAPD recovered the bullet Tapia shot towards the neighbor’s garage. It was embedded inside the vehicle owner’s manual in the glove box of the vehicle. The neighbor told police he called 9-1-1 after discovering Tapia armed with a gun and standing in his neighbor’s driveway. No injuries were reported.

However, San Angelo Fire Department Personnel and AEP representatives were called out to the scene to address a gas leak inside the residence that occurred when a bullet struck a gas line located in the ceiling, Gonzalez stated.

Gonzalez also added that SAPD were dispatched earlier to the residence that evening for an active burglar alarm, but found no sign of forced entry. The homeowner could not be located at the time of the response. She said investigators believe Tapia may have entered through an unsecured overhead garage door, and locked the doors once inside.

Overall, the Kansas man was taken into custody without incident, and transported to the Tom Green County Jail. Detective Jason Chegwidden is the lead investigator for this case. As for motive, Gonzalez said there is no other information at this time.