By ANDY SEVILLA
A man who police say robbed a San Marcos smoke shop and shot a store clerk in the process is behind bars.
Steven Carlos Hernandez, 20, was arrested and charged Thursday with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony.
Hernandez is suspected of shooting 25-year-old Patrick William Reilly during an armed robbery of the Gotta Habit Smoke Shop at 700 N. LBJ Drive, across the street from the Texas State University campus, according to police.
The San Marcos Police Department received a call just after 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, reporting a man had been shot at the smoke shop, authorities said in a statement.
Police say Hernandez entered the store brandishing a pistol, that’s when Reilly, an employee at the smoke shop, confronted the suspect and lunged at him, video surveillance released by police Monday, Sept. 22 showed. During the struggle, Reilly was shot in the chest and left in critical condition, according to police.
Hernandez is believed to have fled the scene on foot and was last seen running toward the Treehouse Apartments on N. LBJ Drive. A multi-agency and K-9 search of the area was unsuccessful in locating Hernandez.
Police then turned to the public for help in identifying and locating the suspect.
Authorities released the minute-long surveillance video, a description of the suspect and a picture of the shirt Hernandez was allegedly wearing that evening, but left behind at the scene.
San Marcos Police Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Thursday, Sept. 25 for Hernandez, and the suspect was arrested by San Marcos/Hays County SWAT without incident in the 2300 block of Clovis Barker Road in San Marcos, police said.
Hernandez is being held under $75,000 bail. Police say the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed as detectives continue to evaluate the evidence.
Hernandez was previously arrested in Hays County in 2012 for possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty on that charge and received one-year probation, plus 24 hours of community service.
