ROUND ROCK, Texas — A man was arrested earlier this month after being accused of stealing an AR-15 rifle from a Round Rock police car and then posting a photo with the weapon on Facebook.
According to court documents, police discovered a patrol vehicle was burglarized on La Frontera Boulevard in Round Rock on June 22. A Smith and Wesson AR-15 was missing from its locked gun rack inside the driver compartment of the car.
On July 3, the Austin Police Department said a rifle with the same serial number had been turned in. Records show a woman reported she discovered the weapon in her niece's bedroom in South Austin. The girl's mother later turned it in to police, the documents state. The aunt also reported she found a passport in the room belonging to Louis Philip Reyes, 26. She stated Reyes did not live in her home, but the mother said her daughter was dating a man by the name of Louis.
After searching records for Reyes, police said the suspect was arrested in October 2016 for possession of controlled substances. Booking photos for the charge seemingly matched photos posted on a Facebook account for "Wise Rico," officials said.
After obtaining a search warrant for that account, police said a photo posted on June 22 appeared to show Reyes with an AR-15. The photo also depicts another male holding an axe in his left hand and pointing a handgun to his head, police reported. Documents state Reyes allegedly posted comments including "I just hit a law car" and "for AR 15."
Reyes was charged with theft of a firearm, a state jail felony, with a bond set at $50,000. Reyes was booked in Williamson County on Aug. 6.