Ninth individual facing charges remains at large
The Hockley County Sheriff’s Office has arrested and charged 8 individuals with 23 criminal charges in which 21 are felonies. Operation Bad Choice began in late August after several thefts and burglary offenses involving vehicles, fuel and tools. Nine suspects had been identified with eight taken into custody. An individual, Dalton Gray is the ninth suspect but is still at large. One of the charges the nine individuals are not currently facing is organized crime, but that could possibly change after files are submitted to the district attorneys office. After receiving a report of a stolen vehicle around the 28th of August, investigators arrived on scene of a potential stolen vehicle and it was alleged the vehicle was being chopped-up at that time.
At the time, Austin Pinkert, 38, was arrested first for theft of property between $2,500 and $30,000, theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence.
Hockley County Sheriff Ray Scifres explained more burglaries had been reported after the first arrest and through the course of the investigation they were found to be connected through some of the individuals. A few days before the 28th of August, the city received a report of a stolen fertilizer trailer. Working through multiple cases, investigators uncovered who was in possession of the trailer, how it got there and who was responsible. Two individuals were arrested in that incident that linked the group of individuals together according to Sheriff Scifres. Agapito Baeza, 33, is charged with the theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence.. Jose Marquez, 36, is charged with the theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence.
Bruce Marshall, 44, is charged with the burglary of a building, the theft of property between $100 and $750, evading the motor fuel tax and transporting motor fuel without shipping documents.
Justin Mathis, 26, is charged with the burglary of a building, theft of property between $100 and $750, evading the motor fuel tax and transporting fuel without shipping documents. Martin Mireles, 38, is charged with the theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence.
Juanita Solis, 34, is charged with tampering with physical evidence and the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Javier Perez, 30, is charged with the theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence.
The ninth individual that remains at large is Dalton Gray, 24 who is facing theft of property between $30,000 and $150,000 and tampering with physical evidence charges.
Gray does have active felony warrants.
Investigators pieced together that all the individuals had been at the scene.
Utilizing digital investigations, interviews with witnesses and suspects, Sheriff Scifres says that is how all nine individuals were connected.
“Our investigators did really great work,” said Scifres. “We really had to go old school and do it in a throwback type of manner. We essentially had to but a board on the wall and start connecting dots.”
Sheriff Scifres has been a big proponent of getting out of the office to get the job done.
“We’ve said it before, we’re not going to solve any cases sitting in the office,” explained Scifres. “These guys get out from behind their desks and put in the hours and this effort specifically was a team effort.”
Sheriff Scifres applauded the team work from investigators Jared Dockery and Troy Tillman.
“Those two guys did great work,” said Scifres. “This is what we expect and they surpassed their levels of expectation and set the bar pretty high for future investigators to come.”