A 39-year-old Odessa man with a history of theft convictions was arrested Jan. 14 in connection with a stolen vehicle and stolen sheet metal.
According to an Odessa Police Department report, a resident of the 900 block of North Belmont called 911 around 2 p.m. to report he was following a man in a Ford F-150 who had just stolen six sheets of tin sheet metal and placed them into a trailer.
When officers and Ector County Sheriff’s Office pulled the truck over in the 4100 block of West Spartan, Manuel Muro admitted he decided to take the sheet metal after spotting it and he’d heard someone yelling at him as he left, the report stated.
Officers discovered Muro had two prior convictions for theft in Ector County going back to 2001 and 2011, the report stated.
During their investigation, officers also learned Muro had a stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee at his home in the 3600 block of Mercedes Avenue, the report stated.
Muro’s wife told officers he’d brought the Jeep home a couple of days prior, saying he’d bought it, the report stated.
The Jeep had been stolen from a residence on Englewood sometime between Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, according to the report.
The vehicle’s ignition switch had been tampered with and a tow strap was attached to the Jeep, the report stated. The owner said the car was worth $65,000, but the officer estimated its value at $34,000-$44,000.
Muro was arrested on suspicion of theft of property with prior convictions, a state jail felony punishable by six months to two years in prison. He was also arrested on suspicion of theft of property $30,000-$150,000, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison.
Muro was released from the Ector County jail after posting surety bonds totaling $23,500.
