A stolen service truck led San Antonio police to an illegal stolen-goods route to Mexico.
The Miner Corporation reported a theft from their north-side warehouse building early Wednesday morning: more than $10,000 in tools, including five welding units and a work truck.
What the thieves didn’t know was that the truck had a GPS tracking device in it.
David Janssen of Miner Corporation said: “We can tell when the truck was started, where it went and where it stopped, and it was stopped at this location about 1 a.m. for about 20 minutes, apparently to unload it, then it was dumped in another portion of town.”
The company called police, who quickly got a search warrant for the home in the 1100 block of Pecan Valley.
That’s where detectives found not just the welders, but hundreds of items: televisions, power-washers, even a wheelchair. Many of those goods were also reported stolen. Detectives believe the address is a halfway house for a black-market operation.
Luis Rodriguez Sr. was booked on felony theft charges.
“It’s my understanding that’s what this guy does; he buys stolen property, particularly welders, and takes them by the trailer-full to Mexico,” Detective James Caviness said.
Besides the stolen property, police instructed Animal Care Services to take custody of two dogs and 30 chickens illegally kept on the property.
