Five in Custody After Home Invasion Case Appears Finally Solved

Five suspects are in custody following a months-long investigation into a home-invasion robbery in Flatonia.

According to Flatonia Police Chief Lee Dick, the robbery occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 1. Dick said two females and three males broke into a home near Interstate 10 in Flatonia. The male subjects were wearing masks and carrying firearms, Dick said.

They robbed the sole occupant of the home at gunpoint. The suspects got away with several items including personal identification documents, electronic devices and money. The robbers fled on Interstate 10.

Flatonia Officer Taylor Amos responded to the initial call and gathered evidence at the scene. Flatonia Investigator Geneva Titus continued the investigation. Dick said Titus tied the robbery to a string of similar violent crimes in the region. One of those included a robbery that occurred the night before in Guadalupe County, in which a shot was fired at the victim.

“Investigator Titus worked the majority of the investigation, in cooperation with agencies in Comal, Guadalupe, Bexar and Kendall Counties,” Dick said. “Every officer in the Flatonia Police Department contributed to the investigation in various ways by assisting with tracing firearms, identifying vehicles, assisting with photo arrays of suspects, performing follow-up interviews, and other activities related to their various fields of expertise.”

Dick said Titus tracked down the suspects with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies along the Interstate 10 and Interstate 35 corridors.

“The nature of the crimes and phone and text communications among members within the group make it clear that they posed an ongoing public safety threat throughout the region,” Dick said.

As of last Wednesday, Dec. 4, all five suspects were in custody: 25-years-old Jade Happel of New Braunfels, 22-years-old Ashlynn Beare of New Braunfels, 33-yearsold Nicholas Thomas of Spring Branch, 22-years-old Akim Garcia of San Antonio, and 22-years-old Jason Shussler of San Antonio. Happel and Beare are at the Guadalupe County Jail, Schussler and Garcia are in the Bexar County Jail, and Thomas is in the Comal County Jail.

“Currently, members of this criminal organization are facing first-degree felony charges in Fayette County for Aggravated Robbery and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity,” Dick said. “They also face similar charges in Comal and Guadalupe Counties, as well as additional charges in Bexar County, where two members of the group fired on law enforcement officers during a vehicle pursuit.”

Dick wished to thank Detective Baxter and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, the Schertz Police Department, the Bulverde Police Department, and the Texas Fusion Center for ongoing assistance and support throughout this investigation.

Arraignments are scheduled to begin within the next two weeks.