law enforcement news

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The attorney for Llano Police Chief Kevin Ratliff said Thursday his client has done nothing wrong and is looking forward to his case being “set for trial as soon as the law allows us.”

“Unless there is some evidence out there that I don't know of which convinces me otherwise, I believe my client has done nothing wrong,” said defense attorney Austin Shell. “I believe his presence prevented a situation from getting out of hand and he handled the situation calmly and coolly and his actions prevented a man from being tased.”

A Blanco man has been sentenced to multiple life sentences for aggravated robbery, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping to be served, in part, consecutively to prevent his ever being released.

Timothy Wade Foth, 39, last known to have resided at 625 Forest View Drive, Blanco. was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 24, by a Blanco County jury to three life sentences for Aggravated Sexual Assault plus 99 years for Aggravated Kidnapping along with 50 years and a $10,000 fine for Aggravated Robbery after a three-day day trial in Blanco County.

In a press release Tuesday, Jan. 30, Sonny McAfee, 33rd and 424th Judicial District Attorney   praised the cooperative effort between law enforcement at various levels to obtain justice for the victim.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano city officials don’t plan to hire any police officers to replace four who are on paid administrative leave, according to City Manager Scott Edmonson.

City council members went behind closed doors during the Monday, Jan. 22, council meeting to talk the matter over with city attorneys, but took no action following the executive session, Edmonson said.

“We have the city covered with the four remaining officers and the Llano County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO),” Edmonson said.

He explained the sheriff’s office and the city have a memorandum of understanding that calls for sheriff’s deputies to back up city police officers when necessary.

This story appeared in the Tuesday, Aug. 6, edition of The Highlander. It prompted a letter to the editor on Thursday, Aug. 10, also found here on HighlanderNews.com and to be included in the Friday, Aug. 11, print edition of The Highlander.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners got an earful Monday from county residents who want to keep the county jail open.

Commissioners held a budget workshop but part of that involved a study by Precinct One Commissioner Peter Jones on the feasibility of turning Llano County Jail prisoners over to Burnet County under a contract yet to be written.

Jones emphasized that he hasn’t finished the study. But he said preliminary numbers indicate that the county could save some $170,000 a year by sending inmates to the reginal jail in Burnet.

Charges have been expanded to include sexual abuse of a child and burglary against a man arrested in a tense confrontation in Burnet Tuesday, March 28.

In summary, the charges against 55-year-old Danell “Danny” Cude are now aggrivated kidnapping aggrivated sexaul assault and assault of a child and burglary of a hapitation, all state jail felonies and possession of two ounces or less of marijuana.

Burnet police first arrested Cude for sexually assaulting a woman at her apartment while her two small children were inside the home. According to Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson, Cude allegedly made entry into an apartment in the 800 block of Dixie Drive, where the female victim was alone with her children.

Burnet police arrested a local man Tuesday for sexually assaulting a woman at her apartment while her two small children were inside the home.

Danny Cude, 55, was arrested for aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping. According to Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson, he allegedly made entry into an apartment in the 800 block of Dixie, where the female victim was alone with her kids.

Cude allegedly sexually assaulted the woman multiple times while putting a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her and her children.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) law enforcement is asking for information tied to a hit-and-run boating accident on Lake LBJ Wednesday night, March 22.

A man and a woman from Kingsland were injured when their boat struck retaining wall near Legends Golf Course about 11:30 p.m. that night. The woman was transported by ambulance to the hospital where she was treated and released for facial lacerations.

“They said they were struck by another boat, causing them to run into the wall,” said Steve Lightfoot, TPWD spokesperson.

Anyone with information about a boat that fled the scene not far from the Ranch to Market Road 1431 Bridge should call the TPWD law enforcement number, 512-389-4848, and request a callback from Capt. Cody Hatfield.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

An overnight aerial chase over several Highland Lakes counties ended Monday, March 20, with an airplane forced down at the Llano Municipal Airport and an Austin man arrested with 15 duffel bags of marijuana.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District, said federal authorities filed a criminal complaint Monday afternoon in Austin against 64–year-old Wayne Douglas Brunet for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

State authorities arrested Brunet at the Llano airport after discovering approximately 230 pounds of hydroponic marijuana on board his aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden, San Antonio Division.

Two Marble Falls massage parlor workers were arrested on prostitution charges Wednesday afternoon, March 14, after underage clients reported being touched in a sexual manner while receiving a massage.

LiLi Chen, 38, and Huafen Fu, 49, both of Marble Falls, remain in the Burnet County Jail on charges of promotion of prostitution to an individual under the age of 18, a second-degree felony punishable by a sentence of two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

A drill carried out Feb. 23 in the City of Horseshoe Bay simulated an "active shooter" event.

Conducted by the Horseshoe Bay Police Department (HSBPD), and Horseshoe Bay Fire Department (HSBFD), the simulation brought employees, as well as Marble Falls Area Emergency Medical Service (MFAEMS) ambulance crews into a scenario with gunmen and explosives.

“This training will allow the individual agencies to coordinate and respond with one another to a simulated active shooter situation and later evaluate their collaborative response,” said HSBPD Chief Rocky Wardlow.

“This joint training will assist our agency in reducing the risk to our firefighters by incorporating procedures, training, and protective equipment, while providing rapid stabilization, treatment, and evacuation of the wounded despite hazardous conditions that would otherwise delay treatment,” said HSBFD Chief Joe Morris.