Man arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle

On Monday, June 29, at about 11:40 p.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call in reference to a truck that was stolen from the Crawdad’s convenient store parking lot on N. Hwy. 62 in Mauriceville. The caller stated that when they saw the truck driving off, they got into another vehicle and followed. The stolen truck was a white 2006 GMC.

As Deputies responded to the area, a deputy passed the stolen truck on N. Hwy 62 headed southbound. As the deputy activated the emergency lights, the driver of the stolen truck began to attempt to evade the deputy and turned down a driveway to a residence. The suspect then drove the truck behind the residence and exited the truck. The deputy was able to gain on the suspect as he then began to flee on foot. The Deputy caught up to the suspect and ordered him to stop. When the suspect continued to flee, the Deputy used a Taser on the man and brought him into custody.

The caller who owned the truck arrived on the scene shortly after the suspect was detained and said she did not know the suspect. The complainant wished to file charges for the theft of the truck. The suspect was identified as 32 year old hispanic male Brandon Martinez of Hutto. Martinez was transported to the Orange County Jail where he was booked for unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest. His bond was set at $14,500 and he remains in custody.