Press Releases

A meme circulating on Facebook has several San Angelo residents scratching their heads and asking why a San Angelo Police Motor Officer would be using a drive through car wash.  Here is the backstory.

?SAN ANGELO POLICE, SEEMS LEGIT? was taken just before Motors Officer B. Bylsma entered the drive through carwash at H.E.B. last Monday.  Officer Bylsma was using the location to conduct surveillance on a stolen vehicle that had just been located in the store's parking lot. 

Officer Bylsma, along with Officers L. Cortinas, A. Nandin, and E. Hasty were dispatched to the location when the vehicle's owner called to report locating it.  Once on scene, officers spoke with the victim who pointed out his stolen 2010 Dodge Challenger, parked in the parking lot.  He said he followed the car to the parking lot after noticing someone driving it down Sherwood Way.

Officers positioned themselves in various locations throughout the parking lot to prevent the vehicle from leaving.  Officer Bylsma concealed himself and his motorcycle inside the carwash to conduct surveillance.  Once the suspects returned to the vehicle and drove away, Officer Bylsma radioed the surveillance team and a Felony traffic stop was initiated.     

The driver, Sally Duran (DOB 09-14-81) of San Angelo, was taken into custody without incident.  She was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and an Outstanding Warrant for Parole Violation.  A male passenger was released at the scene.   It was LEGIT!

The Challenger was released to the owner.

This is an ongoing investigation and additional suspects may be identified and charged.    

***SAPD***

The San Angelo Police Department is pushing back the Civil Service Exam date to take advantage of the new hiring process agreed upon in the Meet and Confer proceedings.   The Meet and Confer contract, if approved, will take effect on October 1, 2014.  Those who have already applied will be receiving a letter from Human Resources with notification of the change.

Application Deadline:  Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 3, 2014 in the Human Resources Department, 72 W. College, Room 201, San Angelo, TX  76903.  Applications received after this date will not be accepted. 

Examination:    Rookie Police Officer Examination, Saturday, October 11, 2014

Location:            McNease Convention Center, 500 Rio Concho Drive, San Angelo, Texas               

Registration:     8:30 a.m. - NO LATE REGISTRATION.

For more information about qualifications and the hiring process visit http://bit.ly/SAPDRecruitingRequirements or call the San Angelo Police Recruiting Office at (325) 657-4331 or  (325) 657-4332, or, stop by the Recruiting Office at 505 S. Chadbourne, San Angelo, Texas 76903 You can email questions directly to: recruiting@sanangelopolice.org.

?I'll get this tweeting thing down eventually. #lemit training? ?Posted during recent Texas Police Chiefs Leadership Series (TPCLS) training in San Marcos, Texas, this Tweet sums up the Chief's honesty about being a novice on Twitter and his eagerness to learn the social media platform that will allow him to regularly connect with the citizens of San Angelo on a more personal level.

The importance of social media use in Law Enforcement was among the topics of the weeklong TPCLS Training that hosted an audience of Texas Police Chiefs.

Tweeting under the name of ?@ChiefTimVasquez.?, the Twitter newbie already has over 65 followers, but the number is expected to grow rapidly.

?The Department has been using social media since 2009, and we are doing a great job with it, but the interaction with the public has only been on behalf of the Agency.  I wanted to be able to participate in that interaction. I wanted to be more accessible.  To do that, I had to go where the conversation is taking place, and that's on Twitter?, said Vasquez, ?I hope to create a relationship of open communication and dialogue with their Chief.  I work for this community.  I also want to keep a constant line of information going out to our citizens through all available media outlets.?

Although San Angelo Police have been using Twitter to engage the public since June 2009, Chief Vasquez made the decision to come onboard recently after recognizing that citizens should have another go-to for police questions, concerns and interaction.  The official San Angelo Police Department Twitter account (@SanAngeloPolice) now has more than 2,520 followers and the Department's Facebook page (facebook.com/SanAngeloPoliceDepartment) currently has more than 11,000 fans and has an average reach of 25,000 people a week.  Both outlets have information on recent news releases, surveillance videos of suspects, department events, road closures, emergency information, severe weather alerts, along with other programs and services offered by the department.

***SAPD***

A traffic stop lands one San Angelo man behind bars after a police service dog alerts human cops to hidden methamphetamine during a traffic stop.

On July 31, 2014, just after 10:30 p.m., San Angelo Police Patrol Officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of E. 19th and Marx Streets on a 2001 Ford F150 for a traffic violation.

Officers identified the driver as Cody Speck (DOB 03-09-68) of San Angelo.  During the course of the stop, officers suspected that contraband might be inside Speck's vehicle.  San Angelo Police Department K-9 Team Officer J. Fisher and his Police Service Dog Thor were summoned to the scene to assist with the stop.

During the K-9 investigation, Thor alerted the officers to an area near the passenger side door.  When officers began to search the interior of the vehicle, they located two small baggies of suspected methamphetamine inside Speck's wallet.  Police also located drug paraphernalia inside a briefcase.  The substances field-tested positive for a combined weight of approximately .7 grams of methamphetamine. 

Speck was arrested for State Jail Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1 and transported to the Tom Green County Jail.  Speck received a Citation for the traffic offense. 

 ***SAPD***

San Angelo Police are searching for two men in connection to a home invasion robbery that occurred on Monday, July 28, 2014, just after 1:30 a.m. in in the 1600 block of Volney Street. 

Victor Lopez, Jr. (DOB 10-06-92) and Jarrett Jackson (DOB 12-08-91) of San Angelo are being sought by San Angelo Police for their involvement in the incident.  Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division obtained Arrest Warrants for the pair earlier this week after an ongoing investigation.  Two other San Angelo men who were involved, Johnnie Lee Wilson, Jr. (DOB 03-20-96) and Aaron Holcomb (DOB 11-02-92), have already been arrested.

Police believe the robbery was foiled when one of the suspects, who acted as the lookout, alerted the others to the arrival of police who were dispatched to the residence for the report of an active burglar alarm.  It is believed that the suspects unknowingly activated the alarm when they forced entry into the residence.  When police arrived to the residence, they were met by a 27-year old female victim who said the suspects fled just prior to their arrival.  The woman provided a description for the suspects and police began to search the area. 

San Angelo Police K-9 Units also responded to the scene and during their track, K-9 Officer Fincher and his Police Service Dog Fritz located several items of discarded clothing along with a handgun.  Police believe the suspects discarded the items as they fled the scene.  One suspect, Wilson, was located a short time later and taken into custody.  He was charged with Aggravated Robbery, outstanding City Warrants and Fail to Identify Giving False/Fictitious Information and transported to the Tom Green County Jail.  No other suspects were located during the search.

While at the scene, police spoke with a 27-yar-old male victim who said he had been asleep inside the residence when he woke up to the sound of the home security alarm just before being struck in the head with a handgun by one of the suspects.  The suspects then demanded money and began to collect various electronics from the residence, but ran off empty handed when police arrived.  The male victim was treated at the scene for his head injury.  The 27-year-old woman, who initially spoke with officers, witnessed the events along with her child.  Both were unharmed.

Police have learned that this incident was not random and the victim was the intended target.  Police have established that the victim and suspects are associates. 

Holcomb was located and arrested on July 30 after Detectives with the Department's Criminal Investigations Division and Special Operations Section served an Arrest Warrant for Aggravated Robbery at his residence in the unit block of W. 12th Street.  Holcomb was taken into custody without incident.      

If you have any information about the whereabouts of Lopez or Jackson, call Detective Bobby Elrod at 325-659-8017 or police dispatch at 325-657-4315.   To remain anonymous, 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.  You can submit Tips online at http://local.nixle.com/tip/san-angelo-police-department/.  It is against the law to harbor fugitives.   

This is an ongoing investigation.

***SAPD***

Jarrett Jackson

Victor Lopez, Jr.