A Bryan man came home from vacation Sunday afternoon and called police to report his pickup was missing from his driveway and was replaced by a stranger’s car. While the victim and an officer were visiting at the corner, the officer saw a man walk out of the victim’s home. That led to a foot chase that lasted about four blocks when the man stopped. During the foot chase, the officer also spotted a woman who was running. She was caught by another officer about a block away from the house. According to the arrest report, 31 year old Brian Gurka of College Station and 26 year old Ashlee Merritt of Bryan said they took a variety of items out of the house and put in the woman’s car. The list of recovered property included two televisions, gift cards, tools. underwear, three watches, and an autographed Texas A&M baseball hat. According to online records, this is Merritt’s 13th time in jail in seven and a half years, and Gurka’s fourth visit since last September. As for the stolen pickup, a gray 2001 Chevy Silverado, it has not been found.
Last October, a Bryan man was sentenced to a state jail for 14 months for felony theft. Early Sunday morning, 53 year old Virgil Hickman the third was arrested for breaking into a neighbor’s pickup then cutting the victim’s face over his left eye, which required medical treatment. Bryan police who found Hickman’s cell phone in the victim’s truck found Hickman about 90 minutes later walking back to his home. Hickman, who according to the arrest report had nothing to say about what happened, was taken to the county jail for the 25th time in almost 16 years according to online records on an aggravated robbery charge.
