Buda police are still looking to identify the first male entering the Speedy Stop store during an attempted robbery in September. Paul Gonzales, behind the other suspect, was arrested earlier this month.
By SEAN KIMMONS
A botched beer run at a Buda convenience store has put a 17-year-old high school student in jail, police say.
Paul Gonzales of Buda was arrested Jan. 5 for an attempted robbery in September, in which he allegedly tried to leave the store with three packs of beer while another male assaulted the store clerk, an arrest affidavit says.
Paul Gonzales
In October, authorities released still photographs from security cameras at the Speedy Stop in the 5000 block of Overpass Road that revealed two young males entering the store. During the investigation, police caught a break in January when school resource officers pointed them to Hays CISD’s Live Oak Academy, where Gonzales attended, according to the report.
When Officer Erika Simmons showed the photos to Gonzales, he admitted that he was the male behind an unknown accomplice. He said that he was at a party that ran out of beer, so he and two other males went to the store to get more. He told the officer that he couldn’t identify the other males, the report says.
Security footage showed Gonzales and the other male walking into the store around 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 17, and trying to steal the beer when a store clerk stepped in front of them to block their exit. The unidentified male hit the clerk in the head, and both men dropped the beer and fled to a black Chevy Trailblazer, driven by a third suspect, says the affidavit, written by Simmons.
Less than an hour later, police responded to another theft at Walmart, where two men had been reported running from the store with a six-pack of beer. At about 2:20 a.m., police stopped a vehicle being driven without headlights, which matched the description of the vehicle used in both thefts, Police Chief Bo Kidd said.
The officer escorted the vehicle’s two passengers into Walmart, where employees identified them as the men that had been seen earlier. Gonzales and Gerardo Arreguin, 18, of Buda were charged with public intoxication and theft under $50. The driver, Cruz Garcia, 23, also from Buda, was charged with driving while intoxicated, Kidd said.
At that time, all three men denied any involvement in the previous theft. Police still have not been able to identify the other male in the footage, who could be seen in a white t-shirt, dark shorts and sunglasses, Kidd says.
A cash reward up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect. Tips can be made anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-324-TIPS (8477).
Gonzales is charged with robbery, a second-degree felony; and failure to attend school, a Class C misdemeanor. He is currently in custody at Hays County Jail on a $10,000 bond, jail records show.
Related stories:
- Police seek help in search for Buda robbery suspects 10/26/2011
- Crime Briefs: 09/21/11 09/21/2011
- Kyle man tries, fails to nab socks and cookies, police say 02/7/2012
