Reported on 4/30/12 7:17 pm    Robbery     7101 SPID   1204300152

A 43-year-old victim was taken to Bay Area Hospital by his wife after he was assaulted during a dice game.  The victim reported to Officers he was playing dice at Williams Park with several friends when was attacked.  He  told Officers he was counting his money when a Black male attacked him,  punching him in the face and head, knocking him out.

The suspect took the victim’s money, wallet, and cellphone after he was assaulted.  The victim called his wife to pick him and take him to hospital where he was treated for contusions to his face and head.

Officers checked the park for the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found.  The suspect is described as a 37-year-old Black male who is an acquaintance to the victim.

Anyone who has any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or log on to www.888TIPS.com. If the information provided leads to Clarks arrest it could earn the caller a cash reward.

Texting and Driving is not multi-tasking; it’s essentially driving blind.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The National Highway Safety Administration, and State Farm Insurance conducted a study which revealed that nearly 500,000 people were injured and over 5,000 were killed in 2009 due to various forms of distracted driving, including texting while driving.

The Ad Council, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the State Attorneys General are hosting a nationwide STOP THE TEXTS Day on May 1^st to spread awareness about the risks of distracted driving.  More than a third of young adults say they have been involved in a near crash because of their own or someone else’s distracted driving, according to the Pew Research Center in 2010.

According to the Ad Council, 82% of drivers ages 16-24 said they have texted while driving; 85% of young adults who text while driving agree that texting is a problem; and 77% of young adult drivers are very confident they can safely text while driving.

The Corpus Christi Police Department encourages all drivers to operate their vehicle safely. Focus on a single task and avoid distracted driving. The risk is too great for any benefit of a text message. Stop The Texts this May 1^st.

Reported on 4/19/12,  9:04 am  Theft from a Coin Operated Machine  1502 S. Port Avenue   1204190035

The owner of Danny’s Tire Shop told Officers his Coke machine had been burglarized.  The victim told Officers video surveillance shows a male prying open the Coke machine and taking the money out.

The suspect is described as a 20 to 30 year-old thin male.  He was last seen running to the rear of the business.

Any one with any information about this crimes is encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers Tip LIne at 888-TIPS or tips may be submitted online at www.888TIPS.com.  The information provided is anonymous and could earn the caller a cash reward.

Occurred on 4/24/12, 8:15 pm   Possession of a Controlled Substance   Morgan & Port        1204240144

Justin Michael Valdez (12/04/90) was arrested after Officers pulled him over for a traffic violation.  While Valdez was looking for insurance and registration, the smell of Marijuana wafted to where Officers were standing.

Officers asked the 20-year-old female passenger to step out of car along with her two and five-year old boys. 

The smell of Marijuana was tracked to a couple of bags containing 3.5 ounces of Marijuana and a 2.13 grams of Cocaine.  Valdez was booked at the City Detention Center and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana, along with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia when a digital scale was also found.

The vehicle was released to the girlfriend and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services was notified.

Occurred on 4/23/12, 02:36 am  Evading Arrest/Endangering a Child Criminal Negligence 12th Street & Craig     1204230022

A 28-year-old father of a 3-year-old was arrested when the child’s mother called police reporting her little girl had been kidnapped.  When the child’s father failed to bring her home at 3:00 pm, the mother went in search of them at a Morgan Street location.  The mother was able to locate the father Raymond Lazcano (05/30/83), but he drove off as family members attempted to stop him.

The mother returned home and called police.  While Officers were talking to the mother, Lazcano drove by and Officers quickly attempted to catch up to the suspect’s vehicle.  A short slow speed two-mile pursuit ensued with Lazcano coming to a stop at Craig and 12th Streets. The uninjured child was returned to her Mother and Lazcano was arrested.

While en route to the City Detention Center for booking Lazcano kept banging his head on the plexiglas partition.  He was pepper sprayed to keep him from injuring himself.  Lazcano was booked and charged with Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, Abandoning/Endangering Child~Criminal Negligence, along with two outstanding Nueces County warrants.  Both warrants had No Bond set.

Carmen Villarreal (04/29/71) who was a passenger in the vehicle was arrested for an outstanding Municipal Court warrant for Failure to Appear in the amount $444.

Occurred on 4/23/12. 04:53 am  Robbery  200 Alameda     1204230028

A 54-year-old male sleeping in his 2000 Buick Skylark near the Good Samaritan when three males dragged him out of the car and began to punch him.  The victim sustained a bloody lip and cuts to his elbows when he was flung to the ground.  The males then fled in the victim’s vehicle.

The victim who was very distressed over the robbery was unable to provide a lot of details.  He did tell Officers his vehicle had a skull sticker on the gas cap cover and a sticker of a pink flower on the rear window.  The victim’s personal items  along with the Skylark’s information were inside the stolen vehicle.

The suspects were described as three bald Hispanic males, in their early 20’s.  Anyone having any information regarding this crime or the whereabouts of the victim’s vehicle is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or the Corpus Christi Police Department Homicide/Robbery Bureau at 361-886-2841.