UPDATE [Tuesday, April 18]
Eight people were arrested Tuesday during a police raid at a downtown apartment complex have been identified by court documents.
Among those arrested were: Tyree Vashon Davis, 23; Edward Julian Sullivan, 38; Carlos Benavidez Jr., 34; Brian Lee Thomas, 45; Henry Ford, 30; Vanessa Castaneda, 27; Robert Turner, 33; Gregory Harris, 46; and Jacrysta Smith, 18.
Pictured, from left: Robert Turner, Vanessa Castaneda, Tyree Vashon Davis, Edward Sullivan, Henry Ford, Jacrysta Smith, Brian Lee Thomas, Carlos Benavides Jr. (BCSO)
At the time Spectrum News received the mugshots, the suspects charges were still pending magistration.
ORIGINAL STORY
SAN ANTONIO — More than a dozen people were arrested in a raid on Tuesday.
Several agencies moved into a building west of Downtown shutting down an organized drug ring after receiving tips about illegal activity.
“This building, this area was a scourge for the city,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.
What was once the Cattleman Square Apartments near VIA Centro Plaza has now fallen vulnerable to organized crime, according to police.
“What got the operation amped up to higher level was our narcotics unit, had undercover people working the area and the got information that it was not individualized dealing and buying out of here. It was organized,” McManus said.
Police and other agencies raided the building Tuesday morning. The building has been under surveillance since early February.
“We have a total of 32 defendants. A total of 55 arrest warrants. So far this morning there were eight people arrested out of those 32 defendants on those 55 warrants,“ McManus said. “The charges will consist of delivery and possession of cocaine, methane phentermine, marijuana, and a lot of synthetic marijuana,” McManus said.
People in the area expressed relief that the police have taken over.
“It’s about time,” Margarita Ramos a San Antonio resident said. “We have a lot of youngsters out here, a lot of youngsters and they don’t need to be seeing people on drugs acting weird around them. They come and like get scared.”
“I mean some people see this as an opportunity to come up,” San Antonio resident Walyn Chapman said. “I don’t know if it's going to end it. I doubt that. It’s been going on for years.”
SAPD said this is part of an ongoing effort to clean up downtown, and the city as a whole.
“There are multiple search warrants that have been obtained and will be executed or have been executed,” McManus said. “So, we’re not done here right now, we only have part of [the] people that are wanted on the warrants, but we will get them during the remaining of the day and or the remainder of the week.”
Police Chief McManus said they are currently working with the owner of the building to make sure nobody goes back inside.