Katy Man Arrested After Firing at Construction Workers, Stealing Vehicle in Colorado County

COLUMBUS, Texas – A 20-year-old Katy man was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he fired a gun toward construction workers, stole a vehicle and led law enforcement on a chase that ended when the stolen vehicle crashed into a canal.

The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded at approximately 10:47 a.m. July 29 to a construction site in the 2300 block of County Road 103 near Columbus after receiving a 911 call reporting an armed suspect had discharged a firearm in the direction of workers.

According to investigators, the suspect then stole a construction worker’s vehicle and fled the scene.

As deputies responded, dispatchers received information indicating the suspect may have been accompanied by another person. Responding officers were advised that the suspect remained on the several-hundred-acre property.

A Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden later spotted the stolen vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on County Road 103 toward Highway 90 Alternate. Authorities said the suspect crashed the vehicle into a canal before fleeing on foot.

Deputies quickly established a perimeter, located the suspect and took him into custody without further incident.

During the search, the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office deployed a drone while awaiting additional resources, including a helicopter from the Texas Department of Public Safety and K-9 teams from the Waller County Sheriff’s Office.

As the investigation continued, detectives determined the suspect acted alone and that no accomplice was involved.

The suspect was identified as Robert Scheffel, 20, of Katy.

Scheffel was transported to Rice Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries sustained in the crash. No construction workers or responding officers were injured during the incident.

After being medically cleared, Scheffel was transported to the Colorado County Jail, where he was booked on charges of aggravated robbery, burglary of a habitation, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft of a firearm.

The Colorado County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Weimar Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Waller County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado County EMS for assisting in the incident.

The investigation remains ongoing.