Two Guys Walk into a Bar …
… And Leave with a Pair of Felonies
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – It sounds like the start of a bad joke but on Wednesday, March 27 two guys walked into a bar … and by the time they left the premises, the duo had committed a pair of felonies.
Christopher Elias Escobedo, 24, and Gary Otis Lawler, 27 – both from the Dallas area – were taken into custody and charged with burglary of a building which stemmed from their actions at the Davy Crockett Bar and Grill on Wednesday evening.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, Lt. Lonnie Lum – with the Crockett Police Department – was on patrol when he was dispatched to the Davy Crockett Bar and Grill in reference to a 911 hang-up call.
When he arrived at the location, Lt. Lum saw the bar was closed but he also observed employees inside. He made contact with the employees who informed him “… that one of the workers had just been assaulted. I then met with the victim who had a bloody nose and a black eye.”
The victim and other witnesses, reported two males, later identified as Escobedo and Lawler, entered the bar sometime between six and seven that evening and began drinking. A waitress who was working at the time said she had a brief conversation with the two and learned they were in town for work. She also reported one of the two men was named Chris and they were staying at the Holiday Inn Express while in Crockett.
As the evening wore on, the affidavit indicated witnesses saw Escobedo walk “… to the back of the restaurant/bar where only employees are allowed. Employees told Escobedo he was not allowed back there.”
Later, Escobedo disappeared again, according to the employees. The workers said they didn’t know where he went, but after a few minutes had passed, Escobedo returned.
Following Escobedo’s return, the police report stated the two men began to get a little “mouthy” but left soon afterward.
“After leaving the bar, the subjects got into a blue, single-cab Ford pickup, with a ladder on top, and left. According to the victim, Escobedo and Lawler had driven around behind the bar and confronted him in the back door of the bar. They came into the back door of the business and he was assaulted by them, giving him a bloody nose and black eye,” the legal document stated.
The victim also told Lum the man who hit him had on a white shirt. Lum then left the bar and drove to the Holiday Inn Express where he observed two male subjects exiting the vehicle described by witnesses.
While speaking with the two men, Lum saw one of the men had on a white shirt and hand blood on his hand. He also noticed the man answered to the name of Chris.
“These subjects were then placed under arrest for the assault of the victim at the Davy Crockett Bar and Grill. Both subjects were then back to the bar where they positively identified by both the victim and witnesses,” the affidavit stated.
As the investigation continued, Lum viewed surveillance video of the incident in question which showed both Escobedo and Lawler at the bar.
After a while, the video showed Escobedo leave the bar area and walk into the back office of the establishment.
The videotape showed once he was inside the office, Escobedo locked the door and began trying to access a computer.
“He then observes the safe which is in the backroom and walks over to it and tries to open it with no success. Escobedo then goes back to the desk and rummages through the drawers. Inside the top right drawer was approximately $10 which was found missing after Escobedo left,” the police report indicated.
The video also recorded the assault where Lawler was seen coming into the back of the business and confronting the victim.
“Once Lawler and Escobedo are inside the building, they both began pushing and hitting the victim. Escobedo is also seen putting the victim in a headlock at which time they go out of camera view, outside the backdoor,” the report said.
Escobedo was charged with two counts of burglary of a building, a state jail felony, while Lawler was charged with one count.
According to Section 12.35 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony shall be punished by confinement in a state jail for any term of not more than two years or less than 180 days. In addition to confinement, an individual adjudged guilty of a state jail felony may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”
Bond for Escobedo was set at $15,000 while Bond for Lawler was set at $7,500. Both men were able to post the necessary amount and were released pending further legal proceedings.
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
