Social media sleuths lead police to stolen RV

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Uvaldo Garcia

A social media post that went viral within minutes led to the recovery of a stolen recreational vehicle on Friday, July 21, sheriff’s deputies say.
According to a report on the case, a Pearsall woman discovered her family’s RV had been taken from their home near the intersection of FM 1582 and Business Loop 35 during the early morning hours. The theft victim posted several photos of the RV on her social media platform, which drew the attention of community members who in turnshared her post. The woman’s post was shared over 1,000 times within hours. Officers investigating the theft have indicated that a witness reported seeing the RV parked in the Hilltop area in Dilley. Although the woman had reported the recreational vehicle stolen to Pearsall police around 1:30 p.m., when Dilley police ran the license plate number check at 6:30 p.m. the vehicle was not registered as stolen. During the course of the investigation, deputies learned that 42-year-old Uvaldo Garcia had parked the stolen RV on his friend’s property. Garcia allegedly told his friend when he arrived at 7 a.m. that his father had purchased the RV the previous day. The case report shows that officers arrived at the home in Hilltop and saw Garcia fleeing in a silver Dodge pickup truck. The suspect led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit through Dilley before driving into La Salle County. Garcia remained at large Tuesday and was listed as a wanted fugitive. “People want to see criminals get caught and go to jail,” Frio County Chief Deputy Peter Salinas said. “Citizens want safe communities, and with a variety of social media platforms it has become easier to get the word out.”