What is being dubbed a Christmas Day crime spree by police in Ingleside, Texas – in the southeast tip of San Patricio County, on the Corpus Christi Bay – ended with 29-year-old Jorge Puente in handcuffs.
At approximately 9:54 p.m. on December 25, Ingleside PD received a 911 call from a male suspect yelling that he would kill someone, Ingleside PD reports.
Officers were dispatched to the 2400 block of Avenue E. They heard the male suspect yelling as they exited their vehicle, and then the officers were ambushed with gunfire.
During the initial chaos, Puente allegedly exited the residence and stole a neighbor’s vehicle after striking the neighbor in the head with a weapon and threatening to shoot him.
Surrounding law agencies were notified that the suspect was at large. A short time later, Puente left the stolen vehicle at a restaurant in Portland, Texas, and allegedly stole another car at gunpoint.
The second stolen vehicle was later discovered abandoned in a nearby retail store’s parking lot. According to Portland PD, the suspect then barricaded himself with the staff in an open twenty-four-hour emergency room facility.
The Portland Police Department says Puente was apprehended, and the weapon was recovered.
The Ingleside PD is still investigating the incident. An initial warrant was obtained for aggravated assault on a public servant and aggravated robbery.
Puente, according to Ingleside PD, was also later charged with four counts of aggravated robbery, seven counts of unlawful restraint exposed to serious bodily injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest in a vehicle, criminal carrying of a weapon, possession of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance.
“Mr. Puente will most likely face additional charges, and we will work closely with the District Attorney to upgrade the charge to Attempted Capital Murder,” Ingleside PD said.
“Thank you to all surrounding agencies that assisted us during and after this incident,” Ingleside PD said on their Facebook page. “Thank you to our dedicated Telecommunications Officers that handled this incident with professionalism and exemplified calm during the chaos. We are so happy that all First Responders and others involved in this incident were able to safely return home to their families.”