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A man and a woman were arrested last week after Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered a stolen excavator, GMC Denali and large amounts of marijuana products in a search of a Cedar Creek home.
Juanito Guzman Cruz, 27, and Leslie Adriana Quintanilla, 25, were charged with theft of property valued between $30,000 and $150,000, a third-degree felony, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Courier. Members of the BCSO Auto Theft Division, Organized Crime Unit and Patrol Division executed the search warrant about 8:40 a.m. Sept. 16 in the 700 block of Walter Hoffman Road.
Reports said the investigation began following a call for help from the Kent County Sheriff ’s Office in Michigan. The office sought assistance locating a mini excavator rented with a stolen credit acard and fake identification that had been tracked to the Cedar Creek area.
Deputies found the excavator being disassembled on the property, along with a 2022 GMC Denali 2500 reported stolen by the Houston Police Department.
Suspects had used fake registration documents, VIN plates and license plates on the truck for more than a year, according to deputies.
A search of a motorhome on the property also yielded more than 22 pounds of marijuana, 28 pounds of THC liquid, 4 pounds of THC gummies and 4,236 THC vapes, officials said. The investigation remains ongoing. Additional charges may be filed.
