KPD Arrests Four On 70 Charges Of Vehicle Burglaries, Fraud, Identity & Mail Theft, Credit, Debit Card Abuse

KYLE, TEXAS – The Kyle Police Department has made four recent arrests in September that have resulted in 70 charges involving vehicle burglaries, fraud, identity theft, and credit/debit card abuse. 

Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett stressed that residents hide or remove valuables from inside vehicles as well as ensure all doors are locked before leaving a vehicle unattended.

Should a resident find someone attempting to burglarize a vehicle in their neighborhood, Barnett said to contact the police and to observe the suspect from the safety of their residence.

The first arrest occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 4:22 a.m., when a call came in from a resident watching someone break into their vehicle on Cowboy Cove. Kyle Police located the suspect and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.

The suspect attempted to flee in a vehicle and then on foot. Kyle police quickly located him in the backyard of a home on Western Drive and took him into custody.  

The suspect was identified as a 16-year-old resident of Austin and the vehicle he was operating was found to be a stolen vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, Police found a number of stolen items in the car including 19 credit/debit cards and 35 documents with identifying information.

He was charged with one count of Possession of Identifying Information, a Second Degree Felony; Evading Arrest/Detention with a Motor Vehicle, a Third Degree Felony; one count of Unauthorized Use of Vehicle, a State Jail Felony; Evading Arrest/Detention, a State Jail Felony; 19 counts of Credit/Debit card abuse, a State Jail Felony; and three counts of Theft of Driver’s License, a Class B Misdemeanor. He was taken to the Hays County Juvenile Detention Center.   

On Monday, Sept. 14. at 1:50 a.m., a call came into the Kyle Police Department from a complainant on Paddington Drive. The caller stated that they observed a pickup truck park, turn off its light and two teenagers get out and began to check door handles of nearby cars.   

Kyle Police located the truck and found crack and marijuana in plain view, as well as a sawed-off Ruger .22 rifle. Police were able to locate and take both suspects into custody. Both suspects were identified as 16-year-old residents of Austin, one being the same juvenile from the Sept. 2 incident.

They were both charged with Evading Arrest/Detention, a State Jail Felony; Possession of a Controlled substance Penalty Group 1, a State Jail Felony; Possession of a Controlled substance Penalty Group 3, a Class A Misdemeanor; Possession of Dangerous Drug, a Class A Misdemeanor; Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, a Class A Misdemeanor; Theft of property $100-$750, a Class B Misdemeanor; and Possession of Marijuana – 2oz, a Class B Misdemeanor.

One was also charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, a Class A Misdemeanor. Both suspects were taken to the Hays County Juvenile Detention Center.  

While on routine patrol on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 12:28 a.m., a stolen motorcycle was located in the parking lot of the Exxon located at 18701 Interstate 35 by a Kyle Police Officer.

The suspect, identified as Bryan Drake, 44, of Dallas, had a warrant out for his arrest out of Dallas County.

While police conducted a search, multiple items of fraudulent identifying information, mail, credit cards, and items to create his own credit cards were located as well as a room key card to a motel in Kyle.

The Kyle Police Department obtained a search warrant for the room and uncovered additional fraudulent IDs, mail, receipts with fraudulent purchases from Kyle businesses, a stolen check, and more items to create or tamper with credit cards.

Drake was charged with a total of 14 charges including one count of Possession of Identifying Information, a Second Degree Felony; one count of Unauthorized Use of Vehicle, a State Jail Felony; 10 counts of Credit Card Abuse, a State Jail Felony; one count of Theft of Mail, a State Jail Felony; and one count of Possession of Stolen Check, a Class A Misdemeanor. Drake was taken to Hays County Jail.   

Later that same night at 1:57 a.m. at the Stripes, located at 19350 N. Interstate 35, a Kyle Police Officer identified fake temporary tags on a gray Tahoe.

The officer contacted the driver while they were putting gas in the vehicle, and the driver gave the officer consent to search the vehicle.

While conducting the search, the officer located more than 14 credit cards, three Texas IDs, one Florida ID, and two Lone Star Cards that did not belong to the individual.   

The suspect was identified as Rhonda Alexander, 47, a resident of Kyle. Alexander was charged with one count of Fraudulent Use/Possession of ID, a Third Degree Felony; and 14 counts of Credit Card Abuse, a State Jail Felony. Alexander was taken to Hays County Jail.

“Many of these arrests happened because of an alert resident or officer,” Chief Barnett said. “And because of that, we have been able to arrest several individuals that were targeting the Kyle community for theft. We always want to encourage our residents, ‘if you see something, please say something.’”

For more information on auto theft prevention, go to cityofkyle.com/police/auto-theft-prevention.