AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin police arrested 11 people in a one-day shoplifting enforcement operation April 8 across the Mueller retail corridors on East 51st Street and Barbara Jordan Boulevard. "This operation was designed to assist in combating ongoing retail crime by providing rapid response to thefts in progress and taking appropriate enforcement action," said Austin Police Department spokesperson. The blitz included seven arrests at the Mueller H-E-B at 1801 E. 51st St., plus arrests at nearby Home Depot, Bath & Body Works and Marshalls, according to FOX 7 Austin.
The arrests included felony and misdemeanor theft allegations that APD and court records describe as repeat-offender cases in some instances. At the Mueller H-E-B, police arrested 55-year-old Michael Lynn Durham on a theft of property charge with previous convictions. Other arrests tied to the same store included 62-year-old Christine Mead on a theft-by-shoplifting Class B citation, 34-year-old Chase McCowen on a Class A misdemeanor evading arrest or detention charge, and 55-year-old Kendrick Roberton on a theft-by-shoplifting Class C citation. Police also arrested 39-year-old Angel Salgado and 54-year-old William Floyd, both accused of theft of property with previous convictions, described as state jail felonies.
Along Barbara Jordan Boulevard, APD arrested 27-year-old Miguel Fragoso at Home Depot on theft of property with previous convictions, resisting arrest, search or transportation (Class A misdemeanor), and an outstanding theft warrant. Two doors down, 51-year-old Michael Bilbo was arrested at Marshalls on theft of property with previous convictions. At Bath & Body Works in the same shopping center, APD arrested 61-year-old Orlando White on theft of property with previous convictions and on a parole-violation warrant; 31-year-old Ashley Wilson was arrested on theft of property with previous convictions and a Williamson County warrant alleging the same offense.
No injuries were reported in the operation, which focused on property offenses rather than violent incidents—an emphasis that mirrors Mueller’s crime profile. Data from Mueller Today puts Mueller’s violent-crime rate at about 3.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, below Austin’s roughly 5.03, while property crime remains a persistent day-to-day burden for shoppers and retailers along mixed-use nodes, including storefronts and parking areas. Neighborhood-level figures from DoorProfit similarly point to theft as Mueller’s most elevated category, with larceny/theft running well above national norms.
Retailers have pushed for action as prevention costs climb; Mueller Today reported misdemeanor theft filings citywide rose about 17% in early 2025 and that private-security demand surged, pressures that can reshape staffing, store practices and the shopping experience in Mueller. "It’s always been a struggle downtown, but it has really escalated these last few years," said Teghan Hahn, business owner. "Communication is a lot more smooth; response time is a lot quicker than it was in the past," said Luci Rau, store manager. Anyone with information about retail theft in the corridor can submit an anonymous tip through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program or call 512-472-8477.
