2 Arrested After Police Retrieve Stolen Phones From ACL Fest

Austin TX

08 October, 2021

4:00 PM

Description

AUSTIN, TX — Austin police arrested two people after retrieving several cell phones that were reportedly stolen during weekend one of Austin City Limits Music Festival. Holman Valbuena-Malpica, 35, is charged with two third-degree felonies for theft from a person and tampering with evidence. Johan Valbuena-Malpica, 35, is charged with a class A misdemeanor for unlawful use of a criminal instrument, officials said Thursday. Authorities received numerous reports of thefts at the festival during Oct. 1-3. A majority of these reports are handled as "thefts from person" cases, commonly referred to as pick pocketing. Live in Austin? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone. Officials said in the majority of the cases, the items stolen were cell phones. APD collaborates with ACL Fest and with other law enforcement agencies to recover and reunite stolen items with their owners. Those who attended weekend one of ACL Fest and lost a phone are encouraged to report the loss on ACL's Lost and Found site. A report made to the ACL Fest website will assist with reunification. If your phone has been located, an investigator will contact you and provide information on how to recover your phone. officials said. "We strongly encourage people to record their device serial numbers and keep it somewhere else in case they need to reference it," police said. The Austin Police Department encourages festival-goers to do the following: Pay attention to your surroundings, especially in crowdsKeep your phone and ID/credit cards/cash in separate places on your personPhones sticking out of back pockets or backpacks are not secureKeep property in a secure location (front pocket, stylish fanny pack) or leave it at homeRecord serial number information for your device and keep it separateNotify on-site security/APD immediately for assistanceUtilize APD's online reporting site or contact 311 Check the ACL Fest lost and found site to report or attempt to locate a lost cell phoneIf you see something, say something