Suspected brisket bandit arrested following bizarre crime spree in San Antonio

Alan Meneley, 34, seen in this Sept. 26, 2013 booking photo, was arrested Monday following a chase on the Northwest Side. Alan Meneley, 34, seen in this Sept. 26, 2013 booking photo, was arrested Monday following a chase on the Northwest Side. Photo: Bexar County Sheriff's Office Photo: Bexar County Sheriff's Office Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Suspected brisket bandit arrested following bizarre crime spree in San Antonio 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — A man suspected of stealing meat from a San Antonio BBQ joint was arrested Sunday afternoon following a bizarre crime spree on the Northwest Side.

Alan Meneley, 34, faces charges of attempted escape, evading arrest, possession of a firearm by a felon and burglary.

Police had already been searching for Meneley in connection with the Feb. 21 burglary of Augie’s Barbed Wire Smokehouse on St. Mary’s Street when he was caught.

Before his arrest on Sunday, Meneley was seen in Kendall County driving a truck that was stolen in San Antonio, according to police. DPS pursued the vehicle, but Meneley managed to lose them, police said.

Police said Meneley is suspected of burning down a mobile home after the chase, stealing a Corvette at gunpoint and getting involved in another chase with DPS in the area.

SAPD received a call just before 2 p.m. Sunday from the Texas Department of Public Safety informing them that they were chasing a red Corvette, but had lost it around Loop 1604 and Bandera Road. At the time, no SAPD units were dispatched to the area due to high call volume.

However, a second call came in at 2:03 p.m. that DPS had again picked up the Corvette at Grissom Road and Misty Way. Moments later, DPS called out a major accident involving the Corvette at Grissom and Timber Path.

SAPD units made the scene of the crash after the chase had come to an end.

Meneley bailed out of the car but was taken into custody in a ditch near some restaurants.

During his arrest Meneley told police that he had swallowed an “eight ball of heroin.” He was taken to University Hospital immediately, police said.

Police said that while there, he tried to escape while receiving an X-ray.

He was apprehended inside the hospital where he was charged by proxy.

During the Feb. 21 burglary of Augie's, brisket and alcohol were stolen, police said.

SAPD Sgt. Javier Salazar said the department is treating all cases of brisket theft individually unless a reason to link them is discovered.While brisket has been stolen from several locations in San Antonio recently, Meneley has only been tied to the incident at Augie’s thus far, police said.

mdwilson@express-news.net

Twitter: @MDWilsonSA