by SEAN KIMMONS
One suspect has been arrested as thieves ransacked Kyle this month by breaking into at least a dozen vehicles in just one week, police say.
Aviel Zuniga of Kyle was arrested for robbery early Tuesday morning after he broke into a truck in the Saddle Creek Apartments parking lot in Kyle.
Zuniga
The owner of the truck told police that she confronted Zuniga while he was rummaging in the vehicle, which prompted Zuniga to threaten her and say that he would shoot her, police say.
A male relative then apprehended Zuniga, 35, and held him until police arrived around 1 a.m. Police did not find a gun but still charged Zuniga with second-degree felony robbery. He remains in custody at Hays County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Detectives plan to follow up with Zuniga to see if he is connected to other thefts, Kyle Police Capt. Pedro Hernandez said.
No other arrests have been made in the ongoing investigations, he said.
From June 1 to June 7, at least 12 thefts from vehicles were reported to Kyle police. In context, a total of 46 thefts have been reported to police since January 1, meaning more than a quarter occurred in early June.
Many of the cases involved unsecured vehicles, Hernandez says.
“A lot of people leave their vehicles unlocked,” he said. “In years past, we’ve even caught people checking door handles to see if they’re unlocked.”
He urges drivers to park in well-lit areas, lock vehicles and remove any valuables to deter opportunistic thieves.
“We ask our residents to take an extra two minutes to grab your valuables out of your vehicles,” he said.
In the latest rash of thefts, as much as $7,250 worth of items was stolen from vehicles. Items included a computer, tools, knives, CD player and other electronics, Hernandez said.
According to police records, one theft was reported in the 200 block of Bottle Brush Drive on June 1, another in the 100 block of Trinity Drive on June 2, and a third in the 21300 block of Interstate 35 on June 3. On Sunday, there were six reported in the 21300 block of Interstate 35 and the 4900 block of Cromwell, at the Vantage at Plum Creek Apartments. Two more thefts were reported in the Vantage apartments the next day.
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