This morning there was practically no crime to be had in Austin; the worst I could find was a story on the Fox 7 site in which a Hooters waitress had declined to illegally purchase prescription drugs from a customer. Reportedly high as a kite himself, Manuel Perez, 23, had offered the waitress some Aderall, a stimulant used by sufferers of ADHD and narcolepsy. It increases alertness, libido and sharpens concentration.
Police responded swiftly and discovered that Mr. Perez, who said he was 'going to drive home' was a veritable walking pharmacy. Hydrocodone, Carisoprodol, Tylenol with Codeine, Xanax, Soma and Ambien were also found on his person. As Fox 7 were reporting this story for no other reason than that a Hooters waitress was involved, I left it alone. Until now, obviously.
A few hours later however and the city's cup was running over with crime. Consider the case of Imran Rafaquat Khan, 17, and Christopher Michael Braddy, 19. According to police affidavits, on Monday night they set out to rob an individual living on the 2100 block of Lamplight Village Circle in North Austin. Discovering that he wasn't home, the enterprising pair later confessed to police that they decided to break into his neighbour's place instead.
Wearing masks and wielding rifles the can-do criminals allegedly forced their substitute victim to the floor before helping themselves to his laptop, MP3 players, cell phone, watch, wallet and even a coin jar. What they didn't know was that a neighbor had already phoned the police. Khan and Braddy were arrested before they had time to start the engine of their getaway car.
While Khan and Braddy are currently sitting in Travis County Jail on $100,000 bail, the man who this morning held up the Rattlesnake Inn in the tiny town of Florence on Highway 95 remains at large. Wearing a ski mask and wielding a knife, the robber demanded cash from a female employee at 10am, before fleeing on foot.
Police are also still searching for the man who robbed a jewelry store in Barton Creek Mall Saturday. This thief achieved his ends by means of trickery- after asking to see a blue sapphire ring, he snatched it and then fled, escaping in a blue SUV that was parked outside. If you were in the area and saw a white man, 150 pounds, between 5'5" and 5'8", wearing a black jacket and torn blue jeans and clutching a sapphire ring then APD's Southwest Area Detectives would like to hear from you at (512) 974-9774.
And finally, courtesy of the news edge an Austin cop, Johnnie Lenard Wooldridge was indicted today for punching a suspect, Jonathon Rangel in the face. Was this frustration? A result of provocation? Plain thuggery? Good old fashioned justice? Or is it a lie on the part of Mr. Rangel intended to smear the name of officer Wooldridge? As yet we do not know. If the accusations are true, then it was certainly unsportsmanlike as Mr. Rangel was in handcuffs at the time of the alleged smack in the kisser. More importantly, it was unwise: Wooldridge is charged with a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $4,000.
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