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Second suspect ruled out
COLUMBUS — The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Katy man Wednesday, July 29, following a burglary and shooting incident at a construction site near Columbus that ended after a vehicle and foot chase.
Robert Joseph Scheffel, 20, was booked into the Colorado County Jail on charges of aggravated robbery, burglary of a habitation, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm following the incident, which occurred about 10:47 a.m. in the 2300 block of County Road 103. As of press time, Scheffel remained in custody on a $100,000 bond.
Investigators initially issued an alert for a possible second suspect but later determined Scheffel acted alone. A helicopter from the Texas Department of Public Safety and K-9 units from the Waller County Sheriff’s Office assisted in searching the several-hundred-acre property.
CCSO Capt. Wendy Alley said the report of a second suspect stemmed from a combination of shock and a language barrier between a witness and dispatchers.
“(The witness) believed that there was possibly two suspects. They know for sure they saw the one guy, but they never actually saw the second one,” Alley said. “...After we secured the suspect, the suspect advised them it was just him. We did a thorough search of the area and made sure.”
Deputies responded after receiving a 911 call reporting that an armed suspect had fired a weapon toward individuals at the construction site.
Alley said Scheffel approached the site on foot, broke into a habitation and stole a rifle. After discharging the firearm, he allegedly stole a construction worker’s vehicle.
“There was nothing that leads us to believe that this was something premeditated,” Alley said. “...He happened upon the location, and basically, it’s kind of a spur-of-the-moment type situation where he decided that he needed to steal the vehicle, so that’s what he did.”
Authorities said Scheffel fled toward U.S. Highway 90 Alternate before crashing the stolen vehicle into a canal. He then fled on foot but was later located and taken into custody by deputies.
Scheffel was treated at Rice Medical Center for minor injuries sustained in the crash before being transported to the Colorado County Jail. No other injuries were reported.
The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office thanked several agencies that assisted with the incident, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Waller County Sheriff’s Office, Weimar Police Department and Colorado County EMS.
“The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the swift response and coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners,” the agency said in a news release. “Their professionalism and collaboration were instrumental in ensuring the safe apprehension of the suspect and the safety of the community.”
According to CCSO, aggravated robbery is a first-degree felony, burglary of a habitation is a second-degree felony, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm are state jail felonies.
All persons arrested or charged with a criminal offense are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
