Page 35 - TPA Journal July August 2023

their hands up and get on the ground. Anthony told individual named David Hogarth was acquainted
Taylor to take whatever they wanted, but Taylor with some of the suspects. When Detective
hit Anthony and knocked him to the ground, Mahoney went to the Palms to try to talk with
knocking him unconscious. Appellant stomped on Hogarth in person, he observed Hogarth standing
Anthony’s head. Then all four men repeatedly with Appellant. Appellant quickly walked away
kicked Tony’s head and hit his head with pistols and Detective Mahoney asked Hogarth to come
before dragging him around the floor. Appellant with him to the San Antonio police station.
then kicked Sarah in the face, forced her down- Hogarth was reluctant, but he agreed to go and
stairs by her hair, and commanded her to open the ultimately assisted in identifying the robbers
cash register. It was empty. Appellant then based on the surveillance video screenshots.
removed the shop’s safe that was located next to Hogarth also told Mahoney that he, Trevino, and
the cash register, placed it in a bag, and took it. Taylor had gone to New Braunfels prior to the rob-
Appellant again grabbed Sarah by the hair, walked bery and that Trevino and Taylor had discussed the
her halfway up the stairs, pointed the gun at her, robbery during the trip. Hogarth admitted that he
and told her not to look at them or move until they was present during conversations in which Taylor,
left or they would kill her. Anthony, Sarah, and Robert, Appellant, and Trevino made plans to
Tony’s wallets and cell phones were taken in the commit a robbery and that Appellant recruited
robbery. Detective Richard Groff with New McMichael to help. On the night of the offense,
Braunfels Police Department (“NBPD”) observed Hogarth saw McMichael, Trevino, Taylor, and
the four suspects on the Timeless Ink surveillance Appellant drive off in a white Volvo. When
video. The surveillance footage showed four black Hogarth was shown a photo from the surveillance
men wearing masks and gloves and carrying hand- footage of the masked man in the white hat,
guns. One man, later identified as Appellant, was Hogarth stated that he knew the man in the photo
wearing a white hat, another was wearing a dark was Appellant because Appellant always wore that
shirt, the third individual was wearing shorts with particular hat. When Hogarth was interviewed by
a red stripe, and the fourth was wearing shorts police, he informed Detective Mahoney that
with a white stripe. The footage also captured a Trevino had been telling Hogarth what to say to
unique tattoo on one of the suspect’s arms which police. When Trevino was interviewed by police,
was identified at trial as belonging to McMichael. he provided an alibi that Mahoney’s investigation
revealed to be false. Mahoney obtained a search
Detective Groff tracked Tony and Sarah’s stolen warrant for Hogarth’s phone that revealed text
phones using the Find My iPhone application and messages that confirmed Hogarth’s account.
learned the phones were located in San Antonio at Detective Mahoney obtained surveillance footage
the Palms Apartments. Detective Groff sent a from other businesses near Timeless Ink and
message through the app asking for whoever observed a white, box-shaped vehicle with a dis-
found the phones to call him. Shortly thereafter, a tinctive side blinker traveling in the vicinity short-
woman named Rosa Garcia called Detective Groff ly before the robbery. Trevino’s white Volvo
and he went to the Palms to meet her. Rosa and her matched the description of the vehicle Mahoney
son had Sarah and Anthony’s cell phones. Rosa observed in the footage. Detective Mahoney later
told the detective she received the phones from interviewed Taylor regarding the Timeless Ink
“Tazz Ruffins.” Rosa showed Detective Groff robbery. Taylor provided information to assist in
“Tazz’s” Facebook page. NBPD Detective John the investigation, including identifying informa-
Mahoney used the Facebook profile Detective tion for the other suspects. Detective Mahoney
Groff obtained for “Tazz,” and identified “Tazz” obtained arrest warrants for the remaining sus-
as Olanda Taylor.3 Detective Mahoney learned pects, including Appellant, who denied involve-
Taylor lived at the Palms. While speaking with ment in the Timeless Ink robbery and claimed he
sources at the Palms, Mahoney learned that an

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