A man wanted in Bandera County is accused of breaking into several vehicles and stealing firearms at different ranches in the Tarpley area.
Bandera County Sheriff's Department officials are searching for 28-year-old Robert Lynch. He was arrested near the west end of the county near Utopia Monday for burglary but while deputies were bringing him in, the suspect slipped out of his handcuffs and jumped out of the car.
Chief Deputy Matt King said Lynch has been on a burglary rampage over the past few days. He breaks into homes, steals vehicles, then rams those vehicles into new homes in order to break into those homes, police said.
The Bandera County Sheriff's Office posted a description of the wanted man on its Facebook page. He's white, has a shaved bald head, and face. They said he is about 30 years old, and about 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a camo t-shirt and shorts.
Lynch has a lengthy history of arrests in Bexar County with charges including evading arrest and sexual assault.
One of the burglary victims, Dr. Saleh Jaafar, said his ranch is one of four that was recently burglarized over the weekend. He's had this ranch in Tarpley, an hour west of San Antonio, for 15 years and has never had a problem.
"We opened the door and we smelled some tobacco," he said. "And nobody smokes in that house."
However, according to Jaafar, a brazen thief lounged in his house and was smoking.
"The guy was smoking a cigar, apparently not in a hurry," he said.
Jaafar said the thief stole thousands of dollars' worth of firearms, and took off in his Hummer, which was later found crashed at another ranch.
"Very angry, very angry," he said. "This has never happened, not in Bandera."
Jaafar estimates up to $300,000 worth of valuables were either damaged or stolen.
"This guy, in one day, destroyed the best memories that my family has," he said.
He said the Hummer and guns had special meaning to his family, especially his kids. One of the stolen guns meant a lot to his son.
"He got so attached to it that he didn't even want to shoot it, and left in a box," Jaafar said. "That's one of the main guns they took. It really is the sentimental value of things, not the price."
Jaafar said because of the burglary, he will now be installing security cameras and putting in more locks. He's even offering $5,000 of his own money to anyone with information in this case that will lead to the suspect's arrest.
If you know anything, contact the Bandera County Sheriff's Office at (830) 796-3771.