Suspected burglars under investigation for stealing scratch-off tickets from a store that sold a $5 million winning entry didn’t hit the jackpot — just a one-way pass to jail.
The two were taken into custody Thursday in a separate, unrelated incident during which it was revealed they were wanted on several active warrants out of Bexar County.
Police Friday said their probe into the latest case yielded leads in the July 25 burglary of the Boerne Metro Stop, located at Esser and Blanco roads near the Boerne Independent School District Stadium.
The Metro Stop made news in late June when a customer purchased a winning $5 million scratch-off ticket.
The only items taken during the July 25 break-in — lottery tickets.
“During the course of the (Thursday) investigation, one of the suspects admitted to investigators that they broke into the Metro Stop gas station in late July,” according to Chris Shadrock, a Boerne spokesman. “Based on this information, additional charges are pending.”
The latest case unfolded about 1:10 a.m. Thursday when an officer on patrol spotted a vehicle with no license plates parked outside the Shell station at Plant Street and Blanco Road, according to a release.
Because the store was closed, the officer decided to speak with the occupants of the vehicle, but it sped away, reports indicated.
After a brief pursuit, the vehicle stopped and officers detained two occupants on Ebensberger Avenue.
Officers said they found tools commonly associated with breaking and entering in the vehicle.
Police said one of the men, identified as Pete Reyna, was wanted on six outstanding warrants from Bexar County.
According to records, Reyna faces two new charges from the Thursday encounter in Boerne: evading arrest and unlawful use of a criminal instrument.
New charges resulting from the investigation into the Metro Stop break-in and burglary are under consideration, investigators said.
Reyna’s other charges include two counts of burglary, three counts of theft of property under $30,000 and one count of forgery financial instrument.
He remained in the Kendall County Jail Friday in lieu of posting bonds totaling $195,000.
A second individual, identified as Christopher Cruz, was charged in a warrant with fraudulent use/possession of identifying information, items less than five, according to investigators.
Now Cruz is facing an additional charge from the Boerne case: unlawful use of a criminal instrument, as well as new charges from the Metro Stop break-in and burglary.
Bond for Cruz is set at $50,000, officials said.
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