Report that man in pickup grabbed local girl leads to 2 drug arrests

An investigation that started after police received 911 calls late Tuesday afternoon from two witnesses who reported that a man grabbed a girl and forced her into a pickup truck in a neighborhood near Lampasas Middle School led to two drug arrest.

The two 911 callers reported that two men in a black pickup truck chased the girl, who they said appeared to be 13 or 14 years old with shoulder length blonde hair.

The pickup stopped in the 700 block of South Broad Street, which is about two blocks north of the middle school, and the passenger got out, grabbed the girl, and forced her into the truck, the witnesses said.

Officers found a pickup matching the description that the witnesses provided about 30 minutes later at the McDonald’s restaurant about two blocks from where the incident occurred, but the two occupants of the truck denied any involvement, police said.

Officers, however, found suspected methamphetamine in the truck and on one man, Assistant Lampasas Police Chief Jody Cummings said in a press release Wednesday.

Jesse Joe Garcia, 28, and Israel Alvarez, 31, both of Lampasas, were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Alvarez was also charged with tampering with evidence after an attempt to swallow methamphetamine, Cummings said.

The potential victim, who’s 18, was found Tuesday night unharmed.

“The victim indicated she had been with her boyfriend, with whom she shares the apartment, earlier that afternoon,” Cummings said.

“She had exited the pickup but was forced back inside,” he said.

Additional charges are possible, Cummings said.