Press Releases
A forty-eight year old (48) San Angelo man was arrested last night after a short vehicle pursuit in Northeast San Angelo.
On February 1, 2015, just before 9:20 p.m., San Angelo Public Safety Communications received a call from a witness who said they were following a reckless driver who had just struck a bridge and continued traveling.
The witness relayed the vehicle's description and direction of travel to dispatch, which enabled police to locate the vehicle near Buchanan and Harris Avenue.
Police attempted to stop the white, GMC pickup truck by activating lights and sirens but the driver, later identified as Manuel Moya Rocha (DOB 07-28-66), failed to stop and a short vehicle pursuit ensued.
Rocha attempted to elude police through neighboring streets before stopping his vehicle in the 500 block of Kennedy Drive. Rocha was taken into custody without incident. Officers at the scene detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from Rocha and located open containers of alcohol inside his vehicle.
Subsequent to the investigation, police learned that prior to the collisions; Rocha had been a patron at Eva's Place, a local drinking establishment and scene of a shooting incident, before driving away and striking an unoccupied, parked vehicle near 6th and Main Streets as well as a fixed structure. At this time, police are not aware of any other collisions involved in the episode and no injuries have been reported. Investigators have determined Rocha was not involved in the shooting, other than being a patron at the time the shooting occurred.
Investigators working the case obtained a Search Warrant for Rocha's blood. The results are pending.
Rocha was charged with Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or More, Attempting to Elude While Intoxicated, three outstanding City Warrants, Parole Violation Warrant, and Grand Jury Indictment for Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or More.
***SAPD***
San Angelo Police are investigating a homicide that occurred at a local drinking establishment last night.
On February 1, 2015, at approximately 9:11 p.m., San Angelo Public Safety Communications received a 911 call for shots fired in the 1000 block of Martin Luther King Blvd. While enroute to the location, police received additional information of a possible female shooting victim at Eva's Place, 1001 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Upon arrival, police located a female who was suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers performed CPR on the victim until San Angelo Fire Department Medics arrived. The victim, later identified as fifty-two (52) year old Bertha Vasquez, was transported to Shannon Medical Center by ambulance for treatment. Vasquez later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. Next of kin has been notified.
Detectives with the San Angelo Police Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Scene Technicians responded to the location for follow-up investigation. During the field investigation, it was determined that several rounds were fired from the street towards Eva's in what appeared to be a drive-by shooting. One of the rounds penetrated the building and struck Vasquez. No other injuries were reported at the time of the incident.
At this time, a suspect(s) has not been identified and no arrests have been made. Police are following up on leads and are asking for the public's help.
If you have any information about this incident or the suspect(s) involved, please call 325-657-4264. To remain anonymous, submit tips online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 or call the SAPD's 24 hour Tip Hotline 1-855-TIPS-247. You can also text your tips, text TIP SAPD followed by your message, to 888777.
This is an ongoing investigation and more information will be released when it becomes available.
***SAPD***
The San Angelo Police Department continues the search for runaway Briana Esquivel. Briana was last seen by her family at 4:30 am January 21 at her residence on Chestnut Street. Before leaving, Briana left a note to her family stating her intentions of leaving the home. Along with the note, Briana also packed her personal belongings further indicating her desire to leave.
San Angelo Police have received several tips from varying sources and multiple tips from the family as to where Briana might be staying. At this time, none of the tips have led to finding Briana. The Criminal Investigative Division has utilized multiple Detectives since Briana left to interview witnesses, collect video, and remain in contact with the family since Briana left. A current issue facing Detectives are the tips being reported to the family instead of police. Detectives are not discouraging contact with the family, but would like to receive and gather information directly from anyone with information concerning Briana.
Since Briana left, San Angelo Police Department has been asked multiple times by the public about releasing an AMBER Alert. The circumstances surrounding this investigation do not meet the requirements of issuing an AMBER Alert. The first criterion for issuing the alert is to confirm abduction. At this time all evidence indicates Briana left willingly. There is also no descriptive information concerning who she left with. For more information on AMBER Alerts anyone can visit the official web page at www.amberalert.gov
The San Angelo Police would also like to inform the public about the seriousness of harboring a child who is younger than 18 years of age and who is voluntarily absent from his/her home without consent of the parent(s) for an extended length of time. This offense is a Class A misdemeanor subject to a $4,000.00 fine and incarceration for up to 12 months. Anyone who might be allowing Briana to stay at their residence would be subject to this law and punishment.
The San Angelo Police Department's first priority is the safety and welfare of Briana. Any and all information concerning her location should be made to police to further this investigation. SAPD can be contacted by phone at 657-4315. To remain anonymous, submit Tips online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 or call the SAPD's 24 hour Tip Hotline at 1-855-TIPS-247. You can also text your tips, text: TIP SAPD followed by your tip message to 888777.
***SAPD***
The San Angelo Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division is investigating several vehicle burglaries that occurred over the weekend.
Between Thursday, January 22 and Monday, January 26, 2015, the following incidents were reported:
Sector 1 (Beats 11-15)
500 E. 26th
700 block W. 17th
1200 block Jacie Ln.
800 block Windemere
1000 block Hunters Glen Rd.
Sector 2 (Beats 21-24)
500 block Smith Blvd.-Willow Run Apartments
1600 block S. Chadbourne St.
400 block N. Emerson
(3) 4700 block S. Jackson St.-Century Terrace Apartments
Sector 3 (Beats 31-34)
3300 block Rockbrook
200 block Robin Hood Trl.
4000 block Robin Hood Trl.
2400 block Baylor
2500 block W. Loop 306
4300 block Goodnight Trl.
(3) 3700 block Arden Rd. ?Arden Arms Apartments
2200 block W. Avenue L.
Police are investigating whether or not these incidents are connected. So far, the majority of incidents appear to have occurred in unlocked vehicles.
Police are asking members of the public to take a layered approach to reducing vehicle burglary; always lock your vehicle with the windows up, take your keys, and remove all valuables. Report suspicious activity/crime in progress to 911.
If you have any information about these crimes or suspect(s) who may be involved, call (325) 657-4264. To remain anonymous, submit tips online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 or call the SAPD's 24 Hour Tip Hotline at 1-855-TIPS-247. You can also text your tips, text: TIP SAPD followed by your message, to 888777.
***SAPD***
The San Angelo Police Department would like to warn you about a current ?Green Dot Card? Scam circulating in our area.
In this particular Green Dot Scam, the scammer told the potential victim they won a car during a recent contest. Although the potential victim's caller ID displayed a local area code, law enforcement officials believe the scammer called from overseas. Caller ID Spoofing is a common practice amongst scammers. The technology allows them to falsify the telephone number and/or name relayed as the Caller ID information to disguise their identity.
In this scenario, the scammer instructed the potential victim to purchase a prepaid Green Dot MoneyPak Card and send the activation numbers to the scammer, who was posing as a contest official.
This potential victim recognized this to be a Scam, but other residents have not been so lucky. Scammers are known to target the elderly and sometimes the ?deal-contest- prize-opportunity? sounds too good to pass up. Nevertheless, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Please share this alert and help us spread the word.
What is a Green Dot MoneyPak Card?
A MoneyPak/Green Dot Card works like most pre-paid cards. Consumers can pre and re-load them, transfer them, or use them to make purchases.
These types of Scams can be from a phone call, an e-mail, or regular mail so beware and be scam-smart.
Common Green Dot Money Pak Scams
Lotteries or sweepstakes- Scammer will tell you that you won a large amount of money, or a big item such as a car but in order for you to get your car or money, you need to pay taxes or fees first.
Bill Collector- Scammer will tell you that you owe a large amount of money to a company and if you don?t pay, they will call the police or other authorities.
Arrest Warrants- Scammer will tell you that you owe money for a court fine or traffic citation and if you don?t pay, they will issue a warrant for your arrest.
Don?t fall victim to Green Dot Scams because once you give away the activation code, your money will most likely never be recovered.
If you believe you may be a victim of Green Dot MoneyPak fraud, contact your local police and submit a MoneyPak dispute at http://bit.ly/MoneyPakDispute
***SAPD***