Community Corner

Police ID Alleged East Austin Burglars, Including One Who Later Returned Goods [UPDATED]

One of two suspects contacted victim to confess, return stolen goods after his picture was plastered on flyers thanks to video footage.

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- Police have released details related to an East Austin home robbery incident that later prompted one of the alleged thieves to return the stolen goods after the homeowner posted surveillance footage of the heiste in progress.

The incident dates to April 30, when police received a report of a home burglary in the 5000 block of Blue Spruce Circle. The victim arrived home and noticed his front door had been forced open, police said.

The homeowner then reviewed his home surveillance footage and saw two suspects enter his residence around 3:30 a.m. The victim then posted flyers in the neighborhood with a still image of one of the suspects in the video.

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After being put on blast, the featured suspect contacted the victim's girlfriend the next day and confessed to the crime. The man, Donte Stone, later returned some of the stolen merchandise, police said.

The second suspect on the surveillance video has been identified as Carl Walker. A search warrant of his home led to some of the stolen property, found hidden in bushes behind his residence.

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Police noted that not all the victims' stolen belongings were recovered. They added that neither suspect is yet in custody, but Stone was expected to turn himself into police later on Tuesday.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the police burgarly unit at (512) 974-6941.

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From May 2:

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- It's not uncommon for criminals to return to the scene of the crime. What is unusual is to return to the scene of a robbery and return the stolen goods.

Yet that's what happened in East Austin, where stolen merchandise was returned to a homeowner who uploaded surveillance footage of the heist after the home was hit once before, Fox 7 News reported.

Two men are seen in the footage taking a prized gun collection from the home. Once the footage was released publicly, one of the men came forward with some of the stolen merchandise, offering to get the rest back for the homeowner.

“At 9 am the suspect in the video called me and said 'it's me in the video, I'm scared to go anywhere because you have a reward out to find out who I am. I want to return your stuff and help you get back your other stuff that the thief took,’ " the homeowner told the news station.

“His family came they live two doors down. They came outside, they apologized ,” she said.

The other suspect didn't emerge, but now both have arrest warrants from the police.

People in East Austin are increasingly using surveillance cameras to help combat against theft. Three days ago, a homeowner installed surveillance cameras throughout a home, capturing footage of an alleged serial burglar who may have hit the home before.

That footage appears below:

>>> Image via WikiMedia Commons

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