by | Published
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — A Killeen man with prior felony convictions has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a home invasion burglary that led to a series of related crimes across Comal and Guadalupe counties.
Trason James Taylor, 32, pleaded guilty to Burglary of a Habitation and was sentenced by Judge Gary Steel of the 274th District Court. Prosecutors said the sentence will run consecutively to Taylor's existing Bell County prison sentences, meaning he must complete those terms before beginning his Comal County sentence.
Taylor was on parole at the time of the offense. His criminal history includes prior felony convictions for robbery and burglary of a habitation.
According to court records, the case began on July 26, 2022, when officers with the New Braunfels Police Department responded to a residence in the 700 block of Ron Road after a homeowner reported a burglary in progress.
The victim told police she had returned home from a morning walk at approximately 6:50 a.m. when a man later identified as Taylor knocked on her door. Taylor claimed he had a flat tire and asked for a ride as well as a tire gauge.
As the homeowner attempted to close and lock the door, Taylor allegedly forced his way into the entryway of the residence without permission. Investigators said he grabbed the victim's keys from her hand and went to the driveway, where he attempted to gain access to her locked garage.
The victim immediately called 911.
Authorities said Taylor repeatedly shook the garage door in an apparent attempt to gain entry and steal the victim's vehicle but was unsuccessful. He fled before officers arrived.
Investigators later obtained Ring security camera footage that captured the incident.
Around the same time officers were responding to the burglary call, another 911 caller reported a Cadillac had crashed through a fence near Highland Vista and Morlanga Street, about a block away.
When officers arrived, they found the vehicle abandoned with the engine still running. Investigators discovered a debit card belonging to Taylor inside the vehicle along with clothing, tools, and other personal items.
Police learned the Cadillac belonged to CarMax and had been taken by Taylor as part of a 24-hour test drive agreement. CarMax provided investigators with copies of Taylor's driver's license and address information.
Approximately 20 minutes later, deputies received a report that a Dodge Ram 2500 had been stolen from a work site off Ron Road in neighboring Guadalupe County.
Workers at the site told investigators they had left the keys inside the truck while performing work on a communications tower. They reported hearing the truck start and watched a man matching Taylor's description drive away.
During the theft, Taylor allegedly backed into a gate and damaged it, knocking off the truck's passenger-side mirror.
The stolen truck was recovered the following day in San Antonio after a citizen reported suspicious activity. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but Taylor fled on foot and was eventually located hiding in the backyard of a residence.
When he was arrested, officers found him carrying several items linking him to the crimes, including the burglary victim's keys, the key fob for the abandoned Cadillac, and the key fob for the burglary victim's vehicle.
Investigators also recovered a handgun from inside the stolen truck.
Additional forensic evidence further strengthened the case. Detectives recovered an opened bottle of Powerade from inside the abandoned Cadillac and submitted DNA samples collected from the bottle to a Texas Department of Public Safety crime laboratory.
Several months later, DNA analysis through the Combined DNA Index System identified Taylor as the contributor of the DNA found on the bottle, further connecting him to the offenses.
By the time the DNA results were returned, Taylor was already incarcerated within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on other charges.
Assistant District Attorney Pawandeep Singh prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the New Braunfels Police Department.
