A 31-year-old Laquey man faces several charges after a Houston Police Department investigation in the early morning hours of Aug. 1.
While conducting a security check of Sanders Equipment on West Highway 17 at about 1:30 a.m., Cpl. David Kidwell observed a white Mitsubishi four-door sedan that he didn’t recognize parked near the front entry door. Kidwell got out of his patrol car, felt the hood of the car and found it to be warm.
He also noticed a chainsaw, radiator and a transmission case in the rear seat of the vehicle.
Kidwell then saw two gas cans next to a Chevrolet pickup he knew belonged to the business’ owner, with a plastic hose extending from the truck’s gas tank into one of the cans. He called for back-up from the Texas County Sheriff’s Department.
Kidwell then observed two men lying on the ground, partially under the truck. He ordered them to stay put, but one man got up and ran away.
The other man was apprehended, handcuffed and arrested, and then taken to the Texas County Jail. Two deputies searched the area for the other man, but only found his hat, jacket and gloves that he had apparently discarded while fleeing.
Investigation revealed that the chainsaw had been stolen from an Intercounty Electric Cooperative truck parked on the lot at Jay’s Auto on South U.S. 63., and that the car parts had also been swiped from that business.
The gas siphoned at Sander Equipment was about 6-to-7 gallons.
A probable cause statement was sent to the county prosecutor seeking charges against the captured suspect of one count of felony stealing more than $500 but less than $25,000 and two counts of misdemeanor stealing under $500.
The second suspect is yet to be identified and is still at large.