SAN ANTONIO — A 29-year-old man is under arrest, accused of abducting a jogger at gunpoint in Brackenridge Park on Monday, police said. Brandyn Alexander Garcia was booked in the Bexar County Jail Thursday on numerous charges.
Investigators said Garcia abducted the woman around 9 a.m. near East Mulberry Avenue and Avenue A, which is in the middle of Brackenridge Park (east of U.S. Highway 281). Garcia is charged with Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Sexual Assault, among other charges.
Though the suspect is in jail, some fear remains on local trails. Like many others, the victim came to the park for some regular exercise, or to otherwise enjoy the beauty of San Antonio's outdoors.
"I honestly have two kids and we like to come and play, and look at the ducks and be near the river and be in nature," said Elizabeth Ryan, who visited the park on Friday.
But Ryan herself learned in the most uncomfortable way that danger lurks in the nature's glory. She said she was followed last spring.
"Kind of staying back far enough away, we just made our way back to our car," she said. "I actually called my husband and he came from work."
Now she tends to pair up with a friend and stays away from certain trails. When she can, she also brings her 75-pound dog.
"I feel a lot safer when she is with us," Ryan said. "My husband knows where I am and I have him track me on an app to make sure that we're still here."
Police say they are actively patrolling areas, including local parks. They also urge the public to stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
Ryan understands it's a compromise.
"I don't want to be ruled by fear," she said. "But at the same time it's not like when we come here, we just casually come."
Garcia's total bonds equal $400,000. His criminal history shows arrests dating back to 2011 for theft and assault.