Three men accused of stealing at least 15 vehicles, authorities say

SAN ANTONIO — Authorities have made a triple arrest following a string of vehicle thefts. Jesus Gonzales, 22, Adrian Flores, 19, and Andres Escobar, 22, are accused of stealing at least 15 vehicles in San Antonio this year.

At a home surrounded by ‘No Trespassing’ signs in the 1100 block of Madrid Street, authorities claim the suspects inside had no problem trespassing on other people’s property.

“Someone doesn’t just wake up one day and steal 8 vehicles in a night,” said San Antonio Police Sgt. Washington Moscoso.

According to arrest documents, the investigation started on April 22 when officers attempted to pull over a Ford F150 believed to have been used in a robbery. The driver was able to evade police, the affidavit states, but the truck was eventually found abandoned. 

Police say they found Gonzales hiding nearby, and they soon discovered the truck had been stolen. Cellphone data then linked Flores and Escobar to the investigation, police say.

“These individuals were working in concert together in this organized capacity, hitting multiple vehicles, hitting multiple victims,” said Sgt. Moscoso. “These individuals had the vehicles with the intent of crossing over the border and taking them to Mexico. The vehicles were stolen from hotels around the Rim as well as the SeaWorld area. We want our residents as well as tourists to know that San Antonio is a safe place to come. So, it was important to get these individuals off the streets.”

With help from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), U.S. Marshal Service, Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) unit and an asset seizure team, San Antonio Police officers arrested two of the suspects at the home on Madrid Street. The third suspect was taken into custody at a home on Chihuahua Street, police say.

“We found evidence of narcotics and we found 14 firearms at the location [on Madrid],” said Sgt. Moscoso. “We are still anticipating more arrests from this.”