Press Releases

Recently, the San Angelo Police Department had 6 law enforcement instructors certified to teach a statewide program called CRASE, Citizen Response to Active Shooter Events. The 6 instructors are Chief Tim Vasquez, Assistant Chief Jeff Fant, Sgt Cade Solsbery, Sgt Rick Tinsley, Officer Zach Upton, and Officer Tracy Gonzalez.

CRASE is a program designed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) center in San Marcos, Texas. In the program, citizens will learn proper actions to take and what to expect from Police when they respond when an Active Shooter Event occurs. It is important for citizens and businesses to have a plan in place and to know how to respond to these types of events, especially, as these types of events become more common in today's society.

The CRASE program is available at no cost to local schools, churches, businesses and non-profits in San Angelo. The duration of the training is one hour. This is a small amount of time for an organization to invest to learn information that is invaluable in the event an Active Shooter Event occurs.

If anyone wishes to host this training for their organization please contact Sgt Cade Solsbery at 325-481-2709 or by email at ken.solsbery@sanangelopolice.org.

On Friday February 5, 2016 at approximately 4:15 pm, Officer L Kvittem was sent to a call at the Star Stop convenience store located at 2902 N Bryant Blvd. A credit/debit card skimmer was located inside one of the fuel pumps by a contracted employee. A credit/debit card skimmer is a device connected directly to a credit/debit card payment terminal that stores information from the card's magnetic strip to be retrieved by a criminal to make cloned credit/debit cards or access bank accounts.

After the skimmer was located, other Start Stop stores were checked and skimmers were located at the Star Stop stores located at 705 N Main and 107 S Abe. All of the skimmers were connected directly to the credit/debit card reader inside the fuel pump and would not have been noticeable to a customer using the fuel pumps.

The San Angelo Police Department Criminal Investigation Division is conducting an investigation to identify who placed the skimmers inside the fuel pumps. The San Angelo Police Department is also in the process of making contact with all other convenience stores in town to have their fuel pumps checked for skimmers as well. So far, the Star Stop stores at 2902 N Bryant, 705 N Main, and 107 S Abe are the only stores where skimmers have been discovered.

The San Angelo Police Department asks citizens who have purchased fuel at the fuel pumps from any of these stores to monitor their bank accounts and credit card transactions for fraudulent transactions. If fraudulent transactions are detected, immediately contact your bank or credit card company to report the transaction and cancel your cards. An online police report should also be made through the San Angelo Police Department's website for Debit/Credit Card Abuse. Citizens can access online reporting by going to www.sanangelopolice.org and clicking on report a crime under the Programs & Services tab. The San Angelo Police Department also encourages citizens to click on Fraud and Scams under the Safety tab of the San Angelo Police Department website to learn more about identity theft, scams, and learn what steps to take if you believe you are the victim of a scam or identity theft.

If anyone has any information about the skimmers being placed in the fuel pumps, please contact the investigator for this case, Detective L Dye, at 325-657-4332. You may also tip online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 , via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247.

A 46-year-old San Angelo man remains jailed this afternoon after an attempted forgery at a local grocery store.

Just before midnight, San Angelo Police were dispatched to the Albertsons Grocery Store located at 3121 Sunset Drive for the report of a forgery in progress.

Police arrived and attempted to detain the suspect but the suspect fled and a chase ensued until Officers caught him as he attempted to escape through a nearby open field. The man was taken into custody without further incident and identified as Bernard Balderaz (03-15-69).

During the investigation, Officers learned Balderaz had attempted to purchase items from Albertsons using a personal check that appeared to be forged. A Detective with the Criminal Investigations Division responded to conduct a follow up investigation and it was learned the check Balderaz attempted to use was stolen during a recent vehicle burglary. During a search of Balderaz, Police located the stolen checkbook and a suspected stolen debit card. The items were seized and tagged into evidence.

Balderaz was charged with Evading Arrest/Detention and two outstanding County Warrants. Additional charges may be forthcoming pending the outcome of this investigation.

One Patrol Officer received minor injuries during the chase with Balderaz. The Officer was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

***SAPD***

The San Angelo Police Department has received several requests from business owners as to where signs can be purchased to prohibit the concealed carry or open carry of handguns. The San Angelo Police Department does not provide or sell these signs.

If a business wishes to prohibit the carrying of concealed handguns the following must appear on the sign:

"Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun."

This must be printed on the sign in both English and Spanish, use contrasting colors (example: white sign with black letters) with block letter at least one (1) inch in height, and the sign must be clearly visible and conspicuously displayed to the public at each entrance to the business.

If a business wishes to prohibit open carrying handguns the following must appear on the sign:

"Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly.?

Again, this must be printed on the sign in both English and Spanish, use contrasting colors (example: white sign with black letters) with block letter at least one (1) inch in height, and the sign must be clearly visible and conspicuously displayed to the public at each entrance to the business.

If a business wishes to prohibit both open carry and concealed carry of handguns then both types of signs must be displayed.

Several sign companies in San Angelo were contacted, and all have either made these signs already or have the capability to make the proper sign. The San Angelo Police Department cannot endorse a particular sign company to use. To find listings for sign manufacturing companies in San Angelo please conduct a search on the internet or utilize the yellow pages in a local phone book.

Police Investigate Aggravated Robbery at Motel 6

Early this morning at approximately 1:30 am, San Angelo Police responded to a report of a robbery at Motel 6, 311 N Bryant Blvd. Upon police arrival, Officers met with the victim, 69 year old Kenneth Riza. Riza told Police he had met a male and a female by the pool. Riza said when he went back to his room the male and female followed him and forced their way into his room. Riza said the male suspect threatened him with a knife and tied him up. At some point the male suspect stabbed Riza with the knife. The suspects took all of Riza's property and left in Riza's vehicle.

After the suspects left, Riza was able to get free and call the police. Riza was transported to Shannon Medical Center for treatment. Riza was admitted into the hospital and is in stable condition.

Detective Jason Chegwidden responded to Motel 6 to conduct the investigation, and the investigation is still ongoing at this time. If you have any information about this incident, Detective Chegwidden can be contacted at 325-659-8019. To remain anonymous, tip online at http://bit.ly/SAPDTips247 , via text: text TIP SAPD to 888777 and follow the prompts, or by phone at 1-855-TIPS-247.