Press Releases
April 28, 2020 — Just before 12:30 p.m., a San Angelo Police Department Patrol Officer who has been working a stolen vehicle investigation received a call from the victim, who claimed they spotted their stolen vehicle in the parking lot of the La Azteca Meat Market located at 2028 North Bryant Boulevard. The victim was at the location on a hunch after their stolen debit card had been used at the store the previous day.
The officer, who was close to the location, responded to the parking lot and observed the stolen blue 2017 Honda Civic, circling the lot. When the officer attempted to approach the vehicle, the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed and exited the driveway onto Martin Luther King Drive. After traveling south at a high rate of speed, the suspect collided with a blue Cadillac and a white pickup truck. After the collisions, the suspect exited the car and a foot pursuit ensued. At one point, the suspect ran inside the nearby Whataburger but quickly exited and ran westbound across North Bryant Boulevard.
The victim-driver of the damaged truck, a 28-year-old man who was not injured in the crash, followed the suspect across North Bryant Boulevard into a field near the 1700 block of Hudson Street. Before the officer arrived, the victim-driver exited his truck, tackled the suspect, and detained him until the officer applied handcuffs. The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Landon Beatty.
Beatty was transported to Shannon Medical Center for evaluation of minor injuries. Beatty has been charged with Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle, Evading Arrest Detention-Vehicle, and Evading Arrest Detention-Foot. Beatty also had a Parole Warrant of Arrest for Evading.
The Cadillac’s passenger, a 16-year-old female, was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of non-incapacitating injuries. The Cadillac’s driver was not injured.
Additional charges are forthcoming pending the outcome of this ongoing investigation. The Honda Civic was reported stolen from the Cedar Crest Apartments, 3902 Sherwood Way on April 26, 2020.
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Several San Angelo Police Officers were recently awarded various Class "A" Awards in recognition of their extraordinary efforts in Public Safety and service to the community.
Class “A” awards denote decorations that must be earned by officers through various outlined meritorious acts of service and can only be awarded from the recommendation of the Meritorious Conduct Board and the approval of the Chief of Police.
The Life Saving Bar (Certificate and Uniform Ribbon), ranked next in prominence to the Police Commendation Bar, is awarded to an officer for saving a human life.
Recipients: Officers Eddie Chavarria and Caleb Wasson received the Life Saving Bar for preventing a suicide on the Houston Harte Expressway/Oaks Street Overpass.
Recipients: Officers Eduardo Salmon and Steve Martinez received the Life Saving Bar for preventing a suicide on the bridge at Freeland and Van Buren.
Recipient: Officer Christopher Herrington received the Life Saving Bar for his efforts in saving the life of a man who suffered a severe laceration and loss of blood due to a suicide attempt.
Recipient: Officer Jose Villalobos received the Life Saving Bar for preventing a suicide on the bridge at South Bryant Boulevard and San Jacinto.
Recipient: Officer Thomas Gibson received the Life Saving Bar for preventing a wrong-way intoxicated driver from colliding with several vehicles on Loop 306.
Recipient: Officer Mark Calvert received the Life Saving Bar for using CPR to prevent the death of a medical patient who was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing.
Recipient: Officer Emory McAndrews received the Life Saving Bar for using CPR to prevent the death of a medical patient who was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing.
Recipient: Officer Frank Carrillo received the Life Saving Bar for using CPR to save the life of an unconscious suicidal subject.
Recipient: Officer Dakota Martin received the Life Saving Bar for his efforts in preventing a shooting during a domestic disturbance.
The Merit Ribbon (Certificate and Uniform Ribbon) is awarded to officers of any rank for outstanding performance of duties under unusual, complicated, or hazardous conditions over any period of time.
Recipients: Sergeant Ali Shah and Officer Tracy Piatt-Fox were awarded the Merit Ribbon for their efforts in organizing the Bradford Area Cleanup Project with HEB and Home Depot after an F2 Tornado destroyed homes and displaced several families.
Recipient: Officer Dakota Martin was awarded the Merit Ribbon for preventing harm to other officers who responded to a suicidal subject who placed electrical devices near water in an attempt to harm first responders.
The Civic Achievement Award (Certificate and Uniform Ribbon) is presented to officers who bring favorable recognition to the Department through their involvement in civic affairs.
Recipients: Officers Butch James and Caleb Wasson received the Civic Achievement Award for their efforts to pay for and repair an elderly victim’s damaged/leaking roof.
Recipient: Sergeant Travis Griffith received the Civic Achievement Award for his efforts in purchasing a bicycle for a homeless woman who had just gained employment but had no means of transportation to her new job.
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April 24, 2020 — 54-year-old Yolanda Garcia Sanchez (AKA McGowan) was charged with Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon in relation to a violent interaction at a local dollar store this afternoon.
Just after 12:30 p.m., San Angelo Police were dispatched to the Family Dollar Store located at 3013 North Chadbourne Street for the report of an assault. While en route, officers learned that a female suspect assaulted an employee but was no longer at the store.
During the follow-up investigation, it was learned that Sanchez was inside the store causing a disturbance by knocking things off the shelves. When store personnel confronted Sanchez, Sanchez became combative and attacked an employee. At one point during the encounter, Sanchez retrieved a knife, advanced forward, and made contact with the employee while making threatening statements. The employee, a 29-year-old woman, was not injured.
Sanchez was later located and detained in the 100 block of South Emerick Street with assistance from City Marshals. During the detention, Sanchez became uncooperative, increasingly agitated, and at one point advanced on a San Angelo Police Officer. The officer was not injured. The knife believed to be used during the altercation was located inside Sanchez’s purse.
Sanchez was transported to the Tom Green County Jail. Bond has not been set. No other information is available for release at this time.
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On Wednesday, April 22, 2020, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the 900 block of Shiloh for the report of a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers located an intoxicated man, identified as 27-year-old Chad Ramirez, standing in the parking lot and yelling at a female on the second floor of the apartment complex.
Ramirez was taken into custody for public intoxication and twenty-three (23) outstanding warrants of arrest. Officers also located THC Wax and drug paraphernalia on Ramirez during a search incident to his arrest.
During transport to the Tom Green County Jail, Ramirez told the officer that he had been sick for more than a week and has COVID-19. The officer, fearing exposure to the potentially life-threatening illness and wanting to prevent any potential exposure to jail staff, transported Ramirez to Shannon Medical Center for assessment.
While waiting for medical staff to evaluate Ramirez, Ramirez repeatedly coughed on and projected saliva onto the officer with each cough. Once medically cleared after showing no COVID-related symptoms, Ramirez became physically aggressive and a struggle ensued.
Officers had to apply a RIPP Hobble to Ramirez’s legs to prevent him from kicking the patrol unit’s windows out. Once at the jail, Ramirez continued to be combative and jail officials had to secure Ramirez in a restraint chair.
In addition to Public Intoxication, Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and 23 warrants of arrest, Ramirez was charged with Harassment of Public Servant and Resisting Arrest Search or Transport.
The San Angelo Police Officer who Ramirez coughed on continues to have his health monitored and is symptom-free. Per temporary COVID-19 Police Policy, all employees are temperature-checked prior to beginning each shift and before entering Police Headquarters.
The San Angelo Police Department values the safety of our citizens and officers, and we will continue to ensure that all officers and civilian staff do their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This includes wearing personal protective gear as needed, utilizing sanitizing liquids, sprays and wipes, and evaluating all suspects for COVID-19 symptoms before they are transported to jail. Anyone who claims they are trying to give the virus to another person will be subject to criminal charges.
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During the course of several recent storage unit burglary investigations, the Department’s Anti-Crime Unit (ACU) recovered a large amount of stolen property, which included the cremated remains of a San Angelo man marked with ‘Gutierrez Funeral Home 2009’.
ACU members made several attempts to contact the decedent’s next of kin but the contact numbers in the Department’s records management system were no longer in service.
With assistance from Gutierrez Funeral Home, the decedent’s family was eventually located and arrangements to return the ashes are currently underway.
It was discovered that the decedent’s family was in the process of combining two households when their storage unit was burglarized.
The Department would like to thank the staff at Gutierrez Funeral Home for their assistance. We are extremely grateful that the decedent’s remains will be returned to his family for a proper resting place.
A suspect associated with the recent storage unit burglary investigations, 32-year-old Brandon Costilla, was apprehended on April 17, 2020. Costilla has been charged with Burglary of Building – Enhanced.
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