SAN ANTONIO — The Bexar County Sheriff's Office says they've arrested a contractor suspected in several high-end burglaries, and recovered over 1,000 pieces of jewelry.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said deputies executed three search warrants on August 11 and found high-value items including watches, necklaces, earrings, coins, construction tools, sports memorabilia, and other collectibles. They arrested 37-year-old Julian Puente and charged him with theft between $30,000 and $150,000, but Salazar said those charges will likely be upgraded depending on the value of some of the items found. He said dozens of watches were found, and some may be worth between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
Puente was arrested at a home on Stargazer Pass the morning of August 11. Later that day BCSO searched another home and a large storage unit where they found stolen items.
Investigators believe they know the identity of another suspect, and that both men worked together as contractors. Salazar said the men targeted affluent communities and had a list of 20-30 names and homes that he believed could be targets, and that they burglarized a home in Terrell Hills on March 17. He said they did a good job of casing their targets, and added that he wouldn't be surprised if more people were involved in the operation, or if the suspects left the county to conduct more burglaries.
"Know who's in your home," Salazar warned, noting that it was possible the suspects were legitimate contractors, but also possible they used their jobs to identify valuable targets. He said this was a reminder to vet anyone coming into your home to do work. He said the home was empty in Terrell Hills, but they may have been armed and it could have been very dangerous.
If you think you may have been victimized, email the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at bcsotips@bexar.org with 'burglaries' in the subject line.