KENDALL COUNTY, Texas – A San Antonio man who used a paintball gun to “disable” security cameras and steal two Corvettes from Boerne dealerships was sentenced to four years in prison, according to the Kendall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
Jose Israel Barrera Jr., 36, accepted a plea agreement on two counts of theft of a motor vehicle and unlawful carrying of a weapon, the district attorney’s office said in a news release.
The Boerne Police Department was dispatched to Mark Motors on Sept. 27, 2024, for reports of suspicious activity.
A surveillance company alerted police after observing a person pushing a vehicle across a nearby field, according to the release.
Authorities later initiated a traffic stop on a black 2020 Ford F-350 towing a car hauler trailer in the 100 block of Scenic Loop Road.
Barrera, who was the driver, claimed the trailer was locked and that he was transporting a Corvette he had picked up in Midland, the district attorney’s office said.
According to the release, a Kendall County deputy had recognized the same vehicle and trailer from earlier that night parked near Mark Motors.
Police found a gray 2009 Chevrolet Corvette, valued at $89,000, inside the trailer, according to the release. The Corvette had a shattered driver’s side window and signs that it had been pushed through a field.
Further investigation revealed the trailer was stolen from Waco, Texas, with its vehicle identification number obscured by fresh paint, the release states. The Corvette was also confirmed to have been stolen from Mark Motors.
When officers tried to detain Barrera, authorities said he resisted and fled on foot but was caught.
Authorities searched his truck and found a Springfield Hellcat handgun, a paintball gun loaded with pink paintballs, bolt cutters and black rubber gloves, the district attorney’s office said.
In a follow-up interview, investigators said Barrera admitted to also stealing a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, valued at $91,900, from Jaguar of Boerne earlier that month.
He said he would use pink paintballs to “disable” security cameras and an ATV to push the car into the trailer, the release states.
In addition to his sentencing, Barrera was ordered to pay $32,577.04 in restitution to Mark Motors and Jaguar of Boerne.
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