August 24th, 2011
Man gets 30 years for convenience store robbery

STAFF REPORT

A 39-year-old Kyle man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for robbing a San Marcos store in March, officials say.

Reyes

Joe Valadez Reyes pled guilty to the first-degree felony charge of aggravated robbery stemming from an incident in which he demanded money from a clerk at a Sac-N-Pac store on Aquarena Springs Drive in San Marcos, the Hays County District Attorney’s Office said.

The clerk told police that Reyes had a shirt wrapped around his right hand, apparently covering a handgun. The clerk complied with Reyes’ demands and Reyes fled with about $150. The following day, Kyle police stopped Reyes and, after finding a handgun in the vehicle, arrested him. San Marcos police were notified and subsequently matched the description of the robbery suspect with Reyes. Reyes later confessed to being the armed robber, officials say.

District Judge Jack Robison also sentenced Reyes to 20 years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Both sentences will run concurrently and Reyes will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 15 years, officials say.

In 2002, Reyes was sentenced to 10 years in prison for home burglary and retaliation. He was released in November 2010, court records show.