SAN ANTONIO — Authorities have made a triple arrest following a string of vehicle thefts. Jesus Gonzales, 22, Adrian Flores, 19, and Andres Escobar, 22, are accused of stealing at least 15 vehicles in San Antonio this year.
At a home surrounded by ‘No Trespassing’ signs in the 1100 block of Madrid Street, authorities claim the suspects inside had no problem trespassing on other people’s property.
“Someone doesn’t just wake up one day and steal 8 vehicles in a night,” said San Antonio Police Sgt. Washington Moscoso.
According to arrest documents, the investigation started on April 22 when officers attempted to pull over a white Ford F150 believed to have been used in a robbery. The driver was able to evade police, the affidavit states, but the truck was eventually found abandoned.
Police say they found Gonzales hiding nearby, and they soon discovered the truck had been stolen. Cellphone data then linked Flores and Escobar to the investigation, police say.
"These individuals were working in concert together in this organized capacity, hitting multiple vehicles, hitting multiple victims," said Sgt. Moscoso. "These individuals had the vehicles with the intent of crossing over the border and taking them to Mexico. The vehicles were stolen from hotels around the Rim as well as the SeaWorld area. We want our residents as well as tourists to know that San Antonio is a safe place to come. So, it was important to get these individuals off the streets."
With help from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), U.S. Marshal Service, Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) unit and an asset seizure team, San Antonio Police officers arrested two of the suspects at the home on Madrid Street. The third suspect was later taken into custody at a home on Chihuahua Street, police say.
"We found evidence of narcotics and we found 14 firearms at the location [on Madrid]," Sgt. Moscoso said.
Officers say they also recovered some of the vehicles, including one belonging to an SAPD officer. Home security video shows Gonzales wearing the officer’s ballistic vest and Escobar carrying his shotgun case, arrest documents claim.
According to police, the three suspects are believed to have stolen the following vehicles:
- White Ford F150
- Black 2023 Chevrolet Camaro
- Grey 2020 Chevrolet Silverado
- Black Dodge RAM TRX
- 2022 GMC Sierra
- 2017 Ford F150
- 2017 Ford F150
- 2016 Ford F150
- 2016 Ford F150
- 2020 GMC Sierra
- 2020 Ford F250
- GMC Sierra
- 2019 Ford F150
- 2019 Ford F150
- 2020 Ford F150
"We are still anticipating more arrests from this," said Sgt. Moscoso. "The message we are trying to send to the individuals who are stealing vehicles is, ‘We are going to catch you.’”