Edinburg Police Crack Two Separate Aggravated Robbery Cases
Photo above: Eric Reyes, accused of robbing a Xoom convenience store. Edinburg PD photo
Edinburg, TX, May 26, 2023 – The Edinburg Police Department solved two unrelated cases of aggravated robbery. One involved the robbery of a convenience store on E. University Drive while the other a robbery at a convenience store on W. Monte Cristo Road.
On May 14, 2023, around 10:48 p.m., Edinburg Police Officers responded to a report of an aggravated robbery at the Xoom Convenience Store located at 1402 E. University Dr. Witnesses stated that a male suspect wearing a dark hoodie entered the store and threatened the clerk with a screwdriver. The suspect approached the clerk from behind the counter, holding the screwdriver to the clerk’s lower back, and demanded money. After obtaining the cash from the register, the clerk managed to escape and secure the store, trapping the suspect inside. However, the suspect used a hammer he had brought with him to break the front glass door and fled in a grey Volkswagen Jetta.
On May 15, 2023, Edinburg Police Investigators identified the suspect in the aggravated robbery as 31-year-old Eric Reyes from Edcouch, TX. On May 23, 2023, around 5 p.m., investigators located Reyes at the 1400 block of East Del Oro Street in Pharr and placed him under arrest. A search warrant executed at Reyes’ residence in Edcouch uncovered evidence linking him to the robbery.
On May 22, 2023, around 4:56 a.m., Edinburg Police Officers were called to the Stripes Convenience Store at 1510 W. Monte Cristo Road regarding another aggravated robbery. Witnesses reported that the suspect carried a handgun with a flashlight mounted on top, which he used to threaten the clerk. The suspect left the scene with two cartons of cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. Patrol officers conducted an initial investigation and successfully located the suspect’s vehicle in a nearby residential area.
Photo: Jacob Lee Villarreal is accused to robbing a convenience store on W. Monte Cristo Road.
Further investigation led to the identification of 38-year-old Jacob Lee Villarreal, a resident of Edinburg, as the suspect in the aggravated robbery. Later that day, around 3:45 p.m., an Edinburg K9 officer detained Villarreal outside his residence on the 4100 block of Rodriguez Blvd. Villarreal was subsequently charged with Aggravated Robbery (1st-degree felony) and Failure to Identify (Class A Misdemeanor). A search of Villarreal’s residence yielded evidence connecting him to the robbery.
“Our dedicated officers worked tirelessly to solve these two cases. We commend their unwavering determination and teamwork in bringing these criminals to justice. Our commitment to safeguarding and serving our community remains resolute,” stated Police Chief Jaime Ayala.
Villarreal and Reyes have been arraigned and transported to the Hidalgo County Detention Center, where they are currently held without bond.