Tip: Don't provoke a lawman

Ex-sheriff official helps chase down possible car thieves

Anyone who rams vehicles and speeds in Jimmy Rodriguez's neighborhood better think twice.

The former Nueces County chief deputy sheriff said Thursday that when it comes to his neighborhood, he's especially protective.

He proved it Wednesday.

"The adrenaline was pumping," Rodriguez said, discussing how he and his wife helped Corpus Christi police capture two people believed to be involved in a carjacking and assault earlier that day. In last month's election, Rodriguez lost his bid to become Nueces County sheriff to Republican Jim Kaelin.

Rodriguez and his wife started following a Honda Passport at about 8 a.m. Wednesday after it smashed into a parked van in the area of Scott Drive that was owned by a woman who was assisting Rodriguez's daughter, according to police Capt. John Houston.

The screeching of tires and loud crash immediately caught Rodriguez's attention, he said, adding that he believed the van had been hit on purpose.

"That made me angry and I wanted to catch up to them and bring them to justice, if not give them a piece of my mind," Rodriguez said.

While calling police, Rodriguez and his wife followed the damaged Passport until the driver stopped in the 500 block of Van Cleve Drive.

They later found out from police that the Passport was stolen from a woman, who along with two other women, had been assaulted at about 6 a.m. on Padre Island in the 1500 block of Windward Drive while walking on the beach. The women had gotten out of their cars to walk together on Windward.

While returning to their cars, a small red car with five people drove by and asked if one of the women had a car jack so they could fix a flat tire.

After the tire was fixed, two people in the red car stayed behind and began assaulting the three women and eventually took a Honda Passport belonging to one of the women.

The other people in the red car fled the scene.

About two hours later, the two people in the stolen Passport smashed into the van parked at the Rodriguez home.

After getting the call from the Rodriguezes, police arrived on Van Cleve and arrested a man and a woman, Jose Cuellar and Frances Garcia, both 20.

Garcia remained in the Nueces County Jail late Thursday on bonds totaling $43,500 on charges of aggravated robbery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and failure to identify. Cuellar remained in jail on a $40,000 bond on a charge of aggravated robbery.

Houston said police believe they can identify the other three people involved in the incident, but they were not in custody late Thursday.

Contact Barbara Ramirez at 886-3792 or ramirezb@ caller.com

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