Contributed by Charlie Cardenas, P.E., Traffic Engineering

New – Staples Street and Booty Street Intersection

Monday, January 21, 2013

City contractors will reduce southbound Staples Street traffic to one traffic lane through the Staples Street and Booty Street intersection.   In addition, only the eastbound Booty Street traffic will be permitted to make a left turn onto northbound Staples.  No other left turns will be allowed.

New – Chaparral Street and Schatzell Street Intersection

Monday – Friday

Schatzell Street:  From Shoreline Boulevard, Schatzell Street westbound traffic will be detoured onto Water Street.

In addition, Schatzell Street will be closed to through traffic between Water Street and Mesquite Street.  Parking will be permitted on this section of Schatzell.

Chaparral Street:  Chaparral Street will become two-way traffic between Lawrence Street and Schatzell Street where parking will be allowed on this section of Chaparral Street. Motorists are cautioned to be aware of vehicles entering and exiting this section of Chaparral Street at the Lawrence Street intersection.

New – McBride Lane (Between Leopard Street and IH-37 Eastbound Frontage Road)

Monday – Friday

McBride Lane:  Beginning on Monday, January 21, 2013, the southbound traffic on McBride Lane will be closed to traffic between the IH-37 frontage road and Up River Road.  Closure will be for approximately 30 days.  During this period, southbound traffic will be detoured onto southbound Navigation to IH-37.

New– Kostoryz Road

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure) Tuesday

Beginning on January 23, 2013 through January 28, 2013, weather permitting; city contractors will be doing road work on Kostoryz Road between South Padre Island Drive (S.P.I.D.) and Mansheim Boulevard.  During this period there will be various lane shifts and traffic will be reduced to one through lane in each direction.   Upon completion, traffic between S.P.I.D and Gollihar Road will be shifted onto the northbound lanes and reduced to one through lane in each direction.

In addition, traffic on eastbound McArdle Road will be shifted onto the westbound lane where traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction through the Kostoryz Road intersection.

New – Staples Street (Williams Street to Saratoga Boulevard)

Saturday – Friday (24-hour closure)

Wooldridge Road:  The Wooldridge Road traffic will be shifted onto the westbound lanes and traffic will be reduced to one through lane in each direction through the Staples Street Intersection.

Staple Street:  Contractors will shift the southbound Staples Street traffic onto the northbound lane, reducing traffic to one through lane in each direction from the Moore Plaza entrance through the Williams Drive intersection.  Southbound drivers will have dedicated right and left turn lanes at Williams Drive.  Northbound drivers will have a dedicated right turn lane at Williams Drive but no left turns will be permitted.

On Staples Street, from Wooldridge Road to north of Holly Road, there are two lanes of traffic open in each direction.  Staples Street traffic, between Cain Drive and Bonner Drive, will be shifted onto the northbound lanes and traffic reduced to one through lane in each direction.

Bonner Drive or Cain Drive:  Cain Drive or Bonner Drive may be periodically closed at the Staples Street intersection.  Motorists will be detoured into Burton Lane.  In addition, when one street is closed, the other may be reduced to one lane with flaggers to direct traffic.  Once work is completed, each street will be closed for 10 days to pour concrete and allow the pavement to cure.

Sarazen Drive: Contractors will permit only inbound traffic to enter Sarazen Drive from Staples Street, and traffic exiting must continue north on Sarazen Drive and exit onto Wooldridge Road.

Occurred on 1/17/13, 2:25am Discharging of a Firearm  1300 5^th Street  1301170013

Police were called to the Six Points area for gunfire being heard.  Senior Officer C. Freeman was flagged down by several customers at Pleasures Club and advised that the suspect was at the Six Points intersection.

Officer Freeman caught up to the vehicle and pulled it over in the 1300 block of 5^th Street.  As Officer Freeman approached the vehicle he could smell the odor of burnt Marijuana.  With the assistance of back-up Officers, the driver Longino Garcia Castillo (05/22/90) was contacted and found to have a firearm inside the vehicle along with a couple of spent shell casings.  Officers also found several Hydrocodone pills and a plastic bag containing a small amount of Marijuana.

Castillo was arrested and charged with Discharging a Firearm in Certain Municipalities, Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Marijuana.

Occurred on 1/16/13, 05:05am Burglary of a Building  1114 25th  1301160012

Police were called to the Memorial Apartments for loud noises coming from the laundry room.  The caller believed there was a burglary being committed.  Senior Officer J. Clement arrived to find Cody Ryan Yarbrough (04/17/86) walking out of the laundry room.  Yarbrough was found to be wet through.

Yarbrough had several tools in his sweat shirt as well as a coin cover with blood on it and several dollars’ worth of quarters in his pant pocket.   Yarbrough expressed his concern over finding the laundry room burglarized and attempted to fix the laundry machines.

Further investigation revealed, the laundry room door had been kicked in and one of the washer’s water hoses had been ripped out when it was dumped on its side.  Officer found two other laundry machines had also been burglarized.

Yarbrough was arrested and charged with Burglary of a Building, three counts of Burglary of a Coin Operated Machine, Unlawful Possession of Criminal Instruments along with an outstanding Municipal Court warrant.

Occurred on 1/11/13, 12:48 am  Interference with Public Duties        1418 Craig      1301110005

Police were called to 1418 Craig Street for an assault in progress.  Upon their arrival, Officers could see a woman yelling and screaming in front of the home.  Lagaytha Williams (10/12/59) appeared intoxicated and began ordering the Officers to leave as they tried to make their way inside the residence where more shouting could be heard.

Williams grabbed one of the Officers and swung at him with her cell phone, striking him in the eye.  The Officers were able to go around her and make it inside the home where they found two men arguing.  As the Officers separated the men, Williams again attacked the Officer she’d hit earlier.

Williams was tased and arrested.   She was booked at the City Detention Center and charged with Interference with Public Duties and Resisting Arrest.

Occurred on 1/8/13, 12:05pm  Traffic Accident     IH37 SB at N. Port   C1300174

An accident involving an 18 wheeler and a pick-up truck shut down southbound traffic on IH 37 for a couple of hours.  The Officers investigation revealed that a Ford pick-up truck attempted to pass the tractor-trailer and lost control.  The truck struck the concrete median and then collided with the tractor-trailer, causing it to jack-knife.

During the collision the highway sign crossing IH 37 was taken out and landed on the tractor-trailer and the freeway.

The tractor-trailer fuel tank was punctured causing the diesel fuel to spill onto the freeway and catch fire.  CCFD Emergency Personnel and their HAZMAT crew quickly put out the fire and dealt with the fuel leak.  TXDOT was called to assist and cranes were used to remove the sign from the roadway allowing IH 37 to be reopened.

Officers report both drivers had minor injuries.  Lt. C. Abbott  stated, “This was an impressive job by the Police Department in quickly closing the Interstate and securing the crash scene. All responding agencies coordinated and worked exceptionally well together in clearing this scene and making it safe.”

Occurred on 01/07/13, 7:50am Theft/Prostitution  600 S. Port  1301070025

A 26-year-old woman called Police for help in recovering a stolen phone.  The woman told Officers G. Alvarez and G. Luna she had received a call from her husband’s cell phone in which the caller offered to return the phone for $250.

Further investigation revealed, the woman’s 25-year-old husband picked up a prostitute in the area of Port and Agnes.  After dropping off the prostitute, the man found his phone had been stolen.

Officers contacted Jose Omer Longoria (06/02/89) at Port and Agnes and he was found to be in possession of the stolen phone.

Longoria was arrested and charged with Theft and Prostitution.  Both charges are Class “B” Misdemeanors and are punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.  The recovered phone was returned to the man’s wife.

Occurred on 01/06/13, 4:52pm  Aggravated Robbery    2621 Port Avenue    1301060101

Officers responded to the Subway and contacted a 19-year-old store employee who reported she was robbed at gunpoint by an armed gunman.  The employee told Officers a Black male with a bandana over his face entered the deli and pointed a gun at her as he demanded the money from the register.

She complied with his demands and handed over an undetermined amount of money.  The man left the store and was last seen running west bound on Baldwin.

The store clerk who was uninjured provided Officers a very good description of the suspect.  He is described as a Black man, 30 to 40 years of age, 5’7 to 6’ feet tall, and weighing over 200 lbs.  The suspect was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or submit a tip online at www.888TIPS.com.   Tipsters will receive a cash reward if the suspect is arrested.