Arrests Made in Giddings Store Robbery
Giddings Times & News
• Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery of the Cricket Wireless store in Giddings on Jan. 23. Local police officers were dispatched to 2437 E. Austin St. on Hwy. 290 E. in the Giddings Plaza shopping center at 5:52 p.m. An employee of the store told police that a black male and black female had accosted her in the back of the store, displaying a handgun. She said the suspects took cell phones and an undisclosed amount of cash from the business. The clerk said the female pulled the pistol from her purse and the man carried a duffle bag to carry the phones being taken. No one was injured in the hold-up. A description of the suspects and the vehicle was sent out to neighboring law enforcement agencies. Brenham Police located the suspect vehicle with the two suspects and pulled them over. The stolen money, property, and other evidence were located inside the vehicle. Giddings officers drove to Brenham and took into custody Ayona Tunstill, 24 of Houston, and Aaron Akins, 26 of Indianapolis, Ind.
• Christopher Baker of Giddings suffered a significant injury when he broke his leg in two places and later suffered a major stroke while undergoing surgery on his leg on Jan. 22, leaving him in critical condition. Baker was reportedly pushing his motorcycle to move it to another location when it fell on his left leg, breaking it in two different places. Baker’s wife, Barbara, was able to get him into their vehicle and rushed him to a Brenham hospital. Due to the seriousness of his injury, he was rushed by ambulance to a Bryan-College Station hospital for surgery. Doctors went in for another surgery to remove blood clots and this resulted in swelling to the brain. As of Jan. 25, Baker was on a ventilator without any brain activity, awaiting the arrival of all family members since he was not expected to make a recovery.
• Juan Antonio Garza, 24 of Austin, kept driving as a Lexington police officer attempted to pull him over on County Road 309 for a traffic violation on Jan. 24 at 5:33 p.m. The driver later crashed his vehicle on a county road and ran on foot but was located a short time later. Garza was wanted on felony warrants.
The Brenham Banner-Press
• Collin Smith, a Brenham High School senior and a member of the Brenham Anglers bass fishing team, was reportedly walking back to his vehicle after fishing on Jan. 28 and was seriously injured in an accident. According to Facebook, Smith was struck in the head by something on a passing vehicle. He was reportedly life-flighted to an area hospital where he has undergone surgery. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help with his medical expenses.
The Bastrop Advertiser
• A 60-year-old woman was seriously injured and flown to an Austin hospital on Jan. 29 around 2 p.m. after a train-vehicle collision near Wilson Street in Bastrop. The woman, who has not publicly been identified, was driving a Jeep Cherokee and reportedly drove around the railroad crossing gates as a train was approaching, Assistant Police Chief Vicky Steffanic said. The woman sustained serious injuries and was flown to Dell Seton, Austin. No other injuries were reported. A multi-car train with Union Pacific markings sat parked on the railroad crossing near the intersection of Wilson Street and Hawthorn Street while the Jeep laid on its side with its roof separated several yards from the road as police and firefighters investigated and cleared the crash. Steffanic said an investigation is still ongoing.
The Weimar Mercury
• The long saga involving the proposed Altair Disposal Service LLC hazardous waste landfill application is finally at an end. Colorado County’s lawyers recently received a copy of Altair Disposal Services LLC notice of non-suit that Altair filed with the Travis County District Court on Jan. 14. The non-suit is with prejudice which means Altair cannot refile the actions. Altair’s non-suit effectively ends Altair’s effort to relocate its commercial hazardous waste landfill from Deer Park to Columbus on State Hwy. 71.