JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — A stolen tractor did not prove to be the best getaway vehicle for a burglary suspect Monday morning after the tractor stalled out on Hillebrandt Bridge in west Jefferson County.
Garrett Piazza, 33, is accused of stealing the John Deere tractor and two guns from a ranch before causing a traffic backup on the bridge when it stalled out according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say Piazza then got off the stalled tractor and stole an elderly man's truck at gunpoint.
The robbery victim wasn't injured, and the stolen vehicle was later found in Port Arthur.
Piazza was arrested on Monday evening in Beaumont. The investigation is still underway.
From a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office news release:
This morning, 09/14/2020, just after 7:00 a.m., Jefferson County Sheriffs Deputies responded to FM 365 at the Hillebrandt bridge in reference to an Aggravated Robbery.
Investigation revealed that a white male suspect had stolen a John Deere tractor just minutes earlier from a nearby ranch. Also taken in the theft were two handguns.
According to witnesses, the suspect was unable to drive the tractor up the bridge. This incident caused vehicles to come to a stop and they begin backing up on the bridge.
The armed suspect got off of the stalled tractor, ran up to an elderly male motorist and stole his truck at gunpoint. The suspect was last seen heading back towards Port Arthur in the stolen truck. The victim was not injured. The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Port Arthur.
During the investigation, Jefferson County Detectives developed a lead on the suspect and this afternoon an arrest warrant was issued for 33 year old Garrett Piazza of rural Jefferson County for the charge of Aggravated Robbery.
Garrett was arrested around 6:30 this evening in Beaumont. The investigation is ongoing.
