Horseshoe Bay booze bandits blow stolen goods at weekend party

By CHRIS PORTER • Daily Tribune Staff

HORSESHOE BAY - The thieves who stole nearly $500 in liquor from the Horseshoe Bay Resort apparently blew through most of their ill-gotten gains during a party the following weekend, police say.

Horseshoe Bay Police Chief Bill Lane said three teenagers have now been arrested in connection with the Sept. 15 break-ins at a resort gift shop and poolside cabana.

James Adair Sitka, 18, of Kingsland, is charged with engaging in an organized criminal activity, a third-degree felony.

Also arrested in connection with the break-ins were Brandon Charles Alexander, 17, of Llano, and Kyle Williamson, 19, of Granite Shoals. Both were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and burglary of a building. Williamson was also charged with criminal mischief after a vehicle window was found broken in the resort’s parking lot, Lane said.

Sitka and Williamson turned themselves in to the Llano County Jail, where they were later released on bond, Lane said. Alexander was arrested by Marble Falls police during a traffic stop and taken to the Burnet County Jail, and was later released.

Police were called to the scene of the burglary a few hours after thieves broke into the La Bahia restaurant and a cabana at the resort’s Yacht Club, stealing several bottles of liquor from both locations.

During the investigation, officers learned that a former resort employee provided a key used by the thieves to enter the cabana, though someone later damaged the door in an attempt to simulate a forced entry.

Officers relied on security video logs and interviews to close the case, Lane said.

“After a number of interviews and a considerable amount of time and effort, enough information was developed to obtain an arrest warrant for the three suspects,” Lane said.

And, while police were able to recover some of the bottles taken in the heist, only a small amount of the liquor was returned.

“It is believed that most of the alcohol was consumed at a large party near Tobyville the following weekend,” Lane said.

Engaging in organized criminal activity is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

Burglary of a habitation is a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine, and criminal mischief is a misdemeanor punishable by fine.

chris@thepicayune.com

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Booze bandits blow stolen goods
at weekend party