More About the Motorist Arrested in La Grange for Threatening Lawmakers
The Record obtained the arrest report for the man stopped in La Grange on Saturday who allegedly threatened lawmakers in Austin.
The report stated that Troopers Alba Molina and Louis Gabler were patrolling SH 71 near Plum when they received information from Texas Department of Public Safety about a blue 2017 Audi A6 traveling west towards Austin. The report said the vehicle had been seen earlier in Sealy.
The information the troopers received said the driver, Robert Bowers, had sent messages to a friend “that were interpreted as wishing to inflict harm to state elected officials and politicians in Austin.”
A “No Kings” protest was scheduled to take place at the Capitol in Austin that day, in which protesters compared the Trump Administration to a monarchy. The protest coincided with over 1,000 other demonstrations taking place across the nation, along with President Donald Trump’s birthday and a massive parade in Washington D.C. to celebrate the Army’s 250th Anniversary.
The alleged threat “resulted in the closure of the State Capitol in an abundance of caution for a short period of time,” the arrest report said.
Gabler and Molina located the vehicle near West Point. The report said the vehicle did not display a front license plate, and it was traveling at 81 MPH in a 75 MPH speed zone. The troopers pulled over the vehicle and contacted Bowers and his wife.
“Bowers admitted that he was on his way to Austin to partake in the protest activities in a peaceful manner,” the report said. “Bowers was dressed in black pants that had apparent knee pads that were added to the clothing and heavy duty boots. The pants and boots appeared to be worn in anticipation of physical activities during a protest.”
In addition, the report said Bowers admitted that he had a 9mm Shadow Arms handgun in the vehicle.
“Given the severity of current events and the information Gabler had received, Bowers was placed under arrest for operating a vehicle without a front license plate,” the report said. “The arrest was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the public.”
Bowers was arrested around 1:41 p.m. on Saturday. He was placed on a 48-hour “investigative hold” and was released from jail on Monday.