SEGUIN, Texas – A man suspected of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of vehicles and lawn equipment was identified after KSAT ran a story on one of the thefts that included his photo, Seguin police said.
Freddie Walker, 60, confessed to two separate thefts at Ag-Pro and one at Dietz Tractor Company between July and September, officials said.
Both businesses told KSAT that several of their vehicles and pieces of lawn equipment had been stolen, and their fences and other vehicles had been damaged.
KSAT covered the theft at Dietz Tractor Co. on Monday and aired photos taken by a hidden camera on the property.
After the story aired, a tip came in through Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers, identifying Walker as the man in the footage, Seguin police said.
Investigators followed up on the lead, police said, and were able to link Walker to the first theft at Ag-Pro in July.
Police arrested Walker on Wednesday at a hotel in northeast San Antonio for the July theft. They said he later confessed to all three thefts. Though he is only charged in the first theft now, police said more charges are coming.
"There is a little bit of satisfaction knowing that he is in jail," said Jeff Jordan, who learned of Walker's arrest on Monday.
The two theft's at Ag-Pro were an expensive ordeal for the store. Jordan estimated the total value of what was stolen or damaged in the two thefts at about $250,000.
Most of the stolen equipment and vehicles haven't been recovered. While police said that a semitruck stolen from Ag-Pro in the first theft was recovered in San Antonio, Jordan said the semitruck has $27,000 worth of damage, including numerous missing wheels and tires.
"We're still working on this investigation to see if he was linked with anybody else or groups or where the merchandise might be headed to see if we can recover any of that," said Officer Tanya Brown, spokeswoman for the Seguin Police Department.