SAN ANTONIO — Neighbors in the St. Hedwig area said it was 1:29 a.m. when a burst of rapid gunfire shattered an otherwise peaceful night last Tuesday. The shots came so rapidly, in two different bursts, that neighbors lost count.
A surveillance camera system in the area captured dark, blurry images of a vehicle speeding by, but the video isn't clear enough to be really helpful for investigators.
Sharon Wiatrek said her family lost one cow in the attack. She said she heard something go pop in the night but it wasn't until daylight that she received a call from someone who was driving down the road and told her about the loss of the animal.
Wiatrek said her husband ran outside to see what happened.
"He said it's been shot, twice. Once in the neck and once in the stomach and that just really floored me. I thought what's the purpose of that?" Wiatrek said.
Wiatrek said she and her neighbors called law enforcement and started scouring the roadway for clues.
"All of us, including the cops, we found 19 shell casings, which he had gloves on and he put them in a bag, so I don't know if we'll get fingerprints or not," Wiatrek said, expressing hope that physical evidence will lead to a solution.
The Saint Hedwig Marshal's Office is investigating. In a Facebook post, investigators wrote about looking into two cases. The first was Wiatrek's. The second case was reported later the same day when a man at FM 1518 and Jung Lane heard about the first attack and went to check on his own cattle. He told investigators he found one cow shot to death.
Investigators wrote they have been able to link the two incidents and they are interested in gathering additional clues.
The number for the Marshal's Office is 210-667-9605, or tips can be emailed to their website. Tips can be made anonymously.
The Bexar County Sheriff is also looking for help with at least two additional cases that happened in unincorporated areas of the county closer to Highway 181, Stuart Road and Elmendorf-Lavernia Road.
A Facebook account states that one cow was found shot to death on Elmendorf-Lavernia, and three others were found on Stuart Road. One of those cows was found dead, another had to be euthanized because of the extent of its injuries and investigators said the third animal is being treated by a veterinarian.
Anyone with information about those attacks can call 210-335-6000 or email tips to their website.
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