by | Published
In the early hours of Sunday, December 24, 2023, at approximately 3:17 AM, a routine traffic stop conducted by a Gillespie County deputy unfolded at the intersection of South Acorn and West Main Street in Fredericksburg.
The deputy initiated the stop on a vehicle, and upon doing so, the male driver calmly exited the vehicle and walked away from the scene. The deputy, remaining with the vehicle, took note of a passenger still inside.
Additional officers in the field successfully located the driver, identified as 36-year-old Joe Henry Vela of Kerrville, at the intersection of West Main and South Bowie. Vela, expressing fear of returning to prison, was promptly detained.
During the search of the path the driver had taken, law enforcement discovered a small baggie containing marijuana, believed to have been discarded by Vela. The confiscated substance has since been submitted for destruction.
Vela was arrested and charged with No Driver’s License. Meanwhile, the female passenger, 31-year-old Alisha Stewart, also of Kerrville, was found to have an active warrant out of Kerr County for Assault Causes Bodily Injury. She was taken into custody in connection with the warrant.
