NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says that over the previous several weeks, numerous burglaries were reported of carwashes and standalone ice machines in Jasper and Brookeland.
Surveillance video from one of the burglaries was recovered and showed a suspect using a cordless grinder to cut the locking mechanism off of the door before gaining entry into the building. Once the suspect got in, a large amount of cash was stolen, according to Sheriff Chuck Havard.
An investigation was launched by investigators with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. During the investigation, a Texas DPS trooper conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the Brookeland area that resulted in the arrest of the driver, identified as Amber Lynn Mock, 34, of Jasper.
During the routine inventory of the vehicle, numerous items believed to have been stolen from the previous burglaries were located in the truck. The DPS trooper made contact with Investigator Lampman who advised the trooper to place an investigative hold on the truck after impound.
On December 1, Sheriff Havard says, three investigators interviewed Mock, who was the sole occupant of the truck during the DPS traffic stop. During the interview, the suspect denied any involvement in the burglaries.
A search warrant was obtained for Mock’s vehicle. During the search of the vehicle on December 1, numerous items that were reported stolen were located inside, along with a small amount of narcotics and keys to the lock boxes at one of the carwashes.
Also located in the vehicle was the grinder used to cut the locks, boots matching the ones worn by the suspect, a distinctive red glove the suspect was seen wearing in the surveillance video and a coin dispenser from one of the ice machines. After recovering the stolen property, it was returned to its rightful owner, according to the sheriff.
On December 2, investigators got four State Jail Felony warrants for Mock for the offense of Burglary of a Building and Possession of a Controlled Substance PG 1. Mock is currently not in custody and is a fugitive from justice.
Havard says he would like to thank Jasper County investigators and JPD investigators for their hard work on this case and the DPS trooper for his awareness and vigilance.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Amber Lynn Mock, please immediately contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at (409) 384-5417.