LUBBOCK, Texas — A 19-year-old man accepted a plea agreement after he was indicted for stealing two firearms from a West Lubbock business earlier this year.
Andre Williams “did knowlingly steal, or unlawfully take or carry away, from Academy Sports,” located at 5802 19th St. on Feb. 11, according to court records.
Lubbock Police responded to Academy after a 911 caller “reported a theft of two firearms by a male individual who took the firearms and ran out the front door of the business.” Officers were able to locate the individual, later identified as Williams, running in the Resthaven Memorial Park, the court records state.
While officers searched Williams, they found two firearms in Williams’ waistband. They were two .45 caliber semiautomatic pistols with Academy’s store-issued trigger locks attached.
When Williams fled to Resthaven, he dropped “two Glock magazines and a box of airsoft pellets in the parking lot as he ran,” the court records state.
One of the citizens shopping in Academy followed Williams to Resthaven. While a funeral was being held at Resthaven, “the citizen asked if anyone had seen Williams run into the building.”
The citizen was directed to the restroom, and they told officers that Williams “had already changed clothes attempting to conceal his identity,” court records state.
Then, Williams began to pull out what the citizen believed to be a firearm, and the citizen then grabbed Williams and said, “don’t do it.” Williams revealed the object, which was later identified as an airsoft pistol, and he told the citizen, “here, just take it,” court records state.
Williams then ran out of the funeral home and into the cemetery before he was apprehended by LPD.
Williams admits to theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, according to the plea agreement. If the plea agreement makes it through the court, Williams could face imprisonment for no more than 10 years, as well as pay a fine not to exceed $250,000, according to the plea agreement.
Williams remained at the Lubbock County Detention Center on charges of evading arrest and theft of a firearm.