About 4 a.m. Jan. 8,  while patrolling South Ridge Rd. in Mill Creek, Salado Police officer Chris Dunshie came upon a man wearing a ski mask. 

The suspect fled on foot and was able to avoid capture, but dropped an AR15  rifle and magazine that Dunshie was able to recover.

The gun has been sent to forensics to see if it has been used in shootings in Killeen. Police Chief Pat Boone said that the gun is one that was stolen in a residential burglary a month ago in Killeen.

The suspect was wearing a ski mask but is described as being 5’8” and 150 lbs.

A Volkswagen SUV stolen from a house on Cedar Park Circle (in Mill Creek) was recovered Jan. 9 in Killeen.

Chief Boone said that the vehicle was not locked and had keys in it.

“This has been their motive,” Chief Boone told Salado Village Voice, “to go and test door handles and then see if there are keys in the car. In almost every instance of car theft in the past six months, the vehicle was unlocked with keys in it.”

Chief Boone asks residents to keep their cars locked and to take any valuables they might have out of the car at night.

Bell County Sheriff’s department reports that they are investigating a stolen vehicle and a burglary of a vehicle from a residence on FM 2484.

“We do believe they are connected with the case that’s Salado PD is working,” Theodore Cruz with the Sheriff’s Department stated.