East Austin Commercial Burglary Suspect Charged in 6 Cases, APD Says
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin police have charged 56-year-old Larry Ray Vasquez in a string of commercial burglaries, including a July break-in at The Cenote Café, according to the Austin Police Department. Detectives said Vasquez was already in the Travis County Jail on an unrelated burglary charge when he was served with the newest warrant.
The Cenote Café case anchors the East Austin commercial burglary investigation. Police said detectives have now solved and charged six cases tied to Vasquez.
The Cenote Café burglary
Officers responded July 7 to the café at 1405 E. 7th Street. They found a shattered glass door and a safe that had been forced open.
Surveillance footage showed a suspect enter the business and leave through the rear door. The suspect took cash.
A detective with APD’s Commercial Burglary & Metal Theft Unit took over the case and contacted the business owner. The owner provided additional footage from inside the café. After reviewing it, the detective recognized the suspect from earlier commercial burglary investigations as Vasquez, police said.
Warrant served in jail
The arrest warrant for Vasquez is dated September 18. It charges him with Burglary of a Building, a state jail felony. Police did not need to take him into custody, because he was already in the Travis County Jail. Jail staff served him with the new charge there.
Detectives then called the café owner to tell her the case was solved and an arrest had been made.
Other cases linked to Vasquez
Since May, APD’s Commercial Burglary Unit has identified Vasquez as a suspect in multiple commercial burglaries across Austin. Police said detectives have charged him with Burglary of a Non-Residence in these cases:
- APD Case #26-1260331: 2012 E. 7th Street
- APD Case #26-9012715: 1202 E. 6th Street
- APD Case #26-9015161: 1312 E. Cesar Chavez Street, Suite A
- APD Case #26-9015149: 1312 E. Cesar Chavez Street, Suite B
- APD Case #26-9016026: 1802 E. 6th Street
- APD Case #26-1880215: 1405 E. 7th Street (The Cenote Café)
The charges are accusations. The source did not say whether Vasquez has entered a plea or hired an attorney.
Detectives encourage business owners to report suspicious activity and to share surveillance footage that could help investigators. In this case, footage from inside the café helped a detective identify the suspect.
