AUSTIN — Police arrested two men for allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Northwest Austin car dealership and running over the dealership's owner when the man confronted them at a gas station.
Tristan Grimmer, 20, and Walter Reed, 38, are both in the Travis County jail in connection with the crime.
The owner of the used car dealership told police he discovered a Toyota Prius missing from his lot on April 2. The dealership owner told police that the business was moving vehicles around the lot for maintenance during the week of the theft and it wasn't unusual for the keys to be left inside of the vehicles.
The next day at 4:30 p.m., the owner of the dealership was filling up his tank at a gas station when he said he noticed the stolen Toyota Prius parked behind his vehicle at another pump. The owner said two men, identified in the affidavit as Reed and Grimmer, were sitting inside of it with the window rolled down. The owner said he walked over to the car and asked them where they got the car from. The owner said he knew it was the stolen Prius because it had blue tape on the windshield.
The owner said one of the men told him the car belonged to his sister, but the owner said he knew otherwise and shouted, "This is not your car. You stole this car!"
The owner said he attempted to turn the vehicle off and take the keys back but he said Grimmer and Reed pushed him out of the car, and Grimmer allegedly whipped out a long knife and started slashing the air. At that point, the owner said Reed turned the car back on and quickly reversed the vehicle. The owner said he was knocked over. The vehicle ran over his right arm and leg while the left side mirror struck his face as he was falling down, according to the documents.
The dealership owner was taken to the hospital for his injuries. Medical staff confirmed that he suffered a fractured right toe and a fractured right fibula, and it's possible he could need surgery.
On April 7, police received a tip for the whereabouts of the stolen Toyota Prius. A woman called the police and told them a suspicious vehicle was sitting outside of her home and two men were asleep inside of it: Reed in the driver's seat and Grimmer in the passenger's seat.
When police arrived at the scene, they said the suspects attempted to walk away, but they didn't get very far. Police said Reed and Grimmer were detained, and officials found the Prius' key fob in Reed's pocket. Inside of the vehicle, police said they discovered a camouflage pattern ballistic armor vest and a .22 caliber camouflage rifle.
Officials took Grimmer and Reed to Austin police headquarters, and Reed waived his right to counsel, according to the affidavit.
Reed told police he found the Prius in the parking lot of Barton Creek Mall and found the keys under the seat. He told police he started to drive the car because he "needed to get around." Reed said he found the body armor in the woods and claimed the rifle was already in the vehicle when he found it unlocked in the parking lot.
In regards to the gas station incident where the dealership owner was run over, Reed told police he felt threatened by the dealership owner and thought he was attacking him. He told police it wasn't his intention to run over the dealership owner.
At first -- Grimmer also answered police questions without a lawyer and admitted to being a passenger in the Prius when Reed was driving. However, when police asked him about the weapons found in the Prius, Grimmer refused to speak anymore without counsel present.
Grimmer is being held in the Travis County Jail on a $50,000 bond. He's charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Police charged Reed with aggravated robbery, application to revoke probation, unlawful possession metal or body armor by a felon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
