Car thief going away for four years

BOERNE — A San Antonio man accused of stealing two high-end sports cars from local dealerships will now be parked in prison after accepting a plea deal, officials said.

Jose Israel Barrera Jr., 36, was handed four years behind bars after recently accepting the plea agreement in the 451st state District Court.

He was charged with two counts of theft of a motor vehicle and unlawfully carrying a weapon, according to prosecutors.

The court also ordered Barrera to pay $32,577.04 in restitution, including $10,077.04 to Mark Motors and $22,500 to Jaguar of Boerne.

The case stems from an investigation that began early Sept. 27, 2024, when the Police Department was dispatched to Mark Motors following reports of suspicious activity involving a vehicle being removed from the property.

A video-monitoring company observed a man pushing a vehicle across a nearby field and notified police.

Officers made a traffic stop after locating a 2020 Ford F-350 pickup pulling a trailer for hauling autos pulling into the 100 block of Scenic Loop Road, investigators said.

The driver told police the trailer was locked, adding he was transporting a Corvette he had picked up in Midland.

A Kendall County sheriff’s deputy helping the city police officers recognized the same truck and trailer from earlier that night, having seen them parked near Mark Motors, according to reports.

Officers opened the trailer’s unlocked side door and discovered a gray 2009 Chevrolet Corvette inside which matched one missing from Mark Motors, prosecutors said.

The Corvette, valued at $89,000, had a shattered driver’s side window and wet grass on the front bumper — consistent with being pushed through a field, officers said.

Police also noted the license plate on the trailer did not match its description, and the trailer’s vehicle identification number was obscured with fresh paint.

The trailer was later confirmed to be a Haulmark Edge enclosed trailer reported stolen in Waco.

As police tried to arrest the driver, he ran away but was soon caught, prosecutors said.

A search of the truck uncovered a Springfield Hellcat handgun, a paintball gun loaded with pink paintballs, large bolt cutters and a box of black rubber gloves.

Police said a follow-up interview with the driver led them to clear the theft Sept. 9-10, 2024, of a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 valued at $91,900 stolen from Jaguar of Boerne.