SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio men are accused of getting into a driver’s vehicle at a Southeast Side gas station, showing a handgun and forcing the driver to take them to several locations in search of money.
Jose Garza Valencia and Levi Wayne Smith are each charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
The incident began Aug. 23 at a Shell gas station in the 3500 block of Southeast Military Drive.
According to the arrest report, the driver had stopped to buy a drink when the two men approached and asked for money. The driver told them he did not have any and went inside.
Police said when the driver returned to the vehicle, the two men followed him. One man got into the back seat after showing the driver a handgun, while the other got into the front passenger seat.
The driver said he was told to take them somewhere he could get money and was afraid to leave the vehicle.
The arrest report says the group made stops at a home on Harcourt Avenue, a location on Goliad Road, H-E-B on Southeast Military Drive and Walmart on Southeast Military Drive.
At each stop, the two men got out with the driver and stayed close. When the driver tried to create distance, the men would move closer and threaten him. One of the men also said he had a handgun, though the driver said he did not see it.
At the H-E-B, the driver was forced to buy one of the men a Coca-Cola that cost $2.68. At Walmart, the driver was able to show an employee a text message saying the two men had a handgun and were robbing him. The employee alerted a supervisor, who reported the situation.
The two men left after noticing the employee interaction, according to the arrest report.
Investigators said Walmart surveillance video and prior contacts helped them identify Valencia and Smith.
Valencia and Smith are each being held at the Bexar County Jail on combined bonds totaling $200,000.