Texas man accidentally admits to stealing guitars signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson: cops

Esequiel Martinez, 53, was charged with theft by appropriation in Austin Nov. 29, 2016. Esequiel Martinez, 53, was charged with theft by appropriation in Austin Nov. 29, 2016. Photo: Courtesy/Austin Police Department Photo: Courtesy/Austin Police Department Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Texas man accidentally admits to stealing guitars signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson: cops 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

Austin police added a new charge to a 53-year-old man's rap sheet after he accidentally admitted to stealing three guitars signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson and members of Los Lonely Boys, among other merchandise, in April.

Esequiel Martinez, 53, was charged with theft by appropriation, a state jail felony, Nov. 29 after Austin police connected him to an incident in April.

Martinez is accused of stealing a turquoise and white Fender Stratocaster guitar signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Beck, a black bass guitar signed by members of Los Lonely Boys and an acoustic guitar signed by Willie Nelson, along with seven laptops, an electronic skateboard, a remote control airplane and a 65-inch television from Discount Electronics in South Austin, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by mySA.com.

The loot has a combined value of $15,500.

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Police said on April 22 Discount Electronics was broken into in the middle of the night and the guitars were stolen. The next day, police received a call from a pawn shop employee who said two men tried to sell the store three guitars he believed to be stolen.

On April 24, Discount Electronics received a phone call from a blocked number. The person on the phone, later identified as Martinez, told an employee they would return the guitars for a fee of $2,500. If Martinez did not receive proper payment, he planned to destroy the guitars, the affidavit said. Rick Culleton, the owner of Discount Electronics, agreed to meet Martinez.

Later that day, Culleton and Martinez met in a Petsmart parking lot in North Austin. Culleton gave Martinez $2,500 and got his guitars back. Martinez told Culleton he bought the guitars from a “white boy” that was addicted to methamphetamine, the affidavit states.

Culleton recorded the exchange and posted it on Facebook.

Here's the guy who showed up in the parking lot with three guitars. I have them all back! Posted by Rick Culleton on Sunday, April 24, 2016

Austin police reviewed Culleton’s footage and were able to identify Martinez as the suspect.

During a phone call with police on May 2, Martinez said he purchased the stolen guitars at a flea market on Riverside Drive in Austin days before he made the anonymous call to Discount Electronics. He said he purchased the guitars for $150 and thought it was a “good deal,” the affidavit stated. Then, Martinez said he tried to sell the guitars at a pawn shop where he told an employee there he received the guitars in exchange for a tattoo.

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Martinez said he was told the guitars “were legit” and “figured they belonged to someone.”

At the end of the call, Martinez told police he was with his son that day he tried to pawn off the guitars.

“That’s all I know, I’m not in Austin anymore,” he said, nervously ending the phone call, according to police.

But the officer could still hear Martinez — he had not properly hung up. Martinez could be heard speaking with someone saying “F--- the police… ha.”

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He then described the April burglary and said he wouldn’t be caught because “there was no cameras or alarm system.”

Martinez was arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity months later. Police have since added the theft charge and he is being held in the Travis County Jail on a $20,000 bond.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5