Burglary Suspect Surrenders After Almost Six Hour Standoff With Law Enforcement in Quemado, Texas

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

An alleged burglary suspect, Rodrigo Gonzalez, age 29, armed with a firearm surrendered himself to the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team after holding off law enforcement authorities for almost six hours barricaded inside a manufactured home (mobile home) at a ranch on FM 1901 in Quemado, Maverick County, Texas at approximately 8:13 P.M. on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, announced Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber.

The incident allegedly started at approximately 2:30 P.M. on April 4th when Gonzalez was seen inside the mobile home by a property owner and Gonzalez fired a shot at the owner but fortunately missed and barricaded himself inside the mobile home at a ranch in Quemado, Texas.  The ranch owner called the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department to report the incident.

The Maverick County Sheriff’s Department answered the emergency call and later brought its SWAT Team to the ranch location.  Multiple law enforcement authorities assisted the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department and participated in securing the area and backing up the Sheriff’s Department, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Eagle Pass Fire Department.

Gonzalez kept law enforcement authorities at bay without any communications for several hours.

At approximately 7:50 P.M., the Maverick County SWAT Team detonated an explosive device heard throughout the Quemado Valley.  A SWAT Team negotiator could be heard commanding Gonzalez to come out with his hands raised on a bullhorn and at approximately 8:13 P.M. Gonzalez surrendered himself without incident to law enforcement authorities.

Gonzalez was arrested and transported to the Maverick County Tom Bowles Detention Center where he was processed and detained.  Gonzalez remains detained as of press time.

Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber stated that Gonzalez has a previous incident with law enforcement in Maverick County, setting fire to a residence on Vista Hermosa and Zacatecas Streets last year in the City of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Sheriff Tom Schmerber thanked all law enforcement and rescue agencies that assisted the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department in peacefully resolving the standoff with Rodrigo Gonzalez without incident in Quemado, Texas.