Austin real estate owner finds ankle monitor on his roof

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A real estate owner in Austin, Texas, said he was fed up and concerned after finding an ankle monitor on the roof of his business.

“We put up the fence on Tuesday,” Peter Morales said as he walked through his property on South Lamar Boulevard.

Morales noted that someone had recently moved into the alleyway on his property and vandalized the area.

“Laptops and a couple of bags, plus needles and medicine,” Morales said as he showed video of the camp. “Actually, I had to hire someone to move”

He also found an ankle monitor on the roof of his business with bedding and an area he thought someone lived in.

Morales said he called the police, who came by to escort someone off his property.

Morales said a detective took an ankle monitor but so far he hasn’t heard who the person was or why they had to wear the monitor.

“Is there a predator or a violent criminal sleeping on the roof of my building?” Morales said.

He said whoever lived on his roof also damaged their property and is hoping for more information.

“The insurance company will obviously want to know what caused the damage and who caused the damage,” Morales said.

KXAN News contacted the Austin Police Department for more information. APD said it is still working to obtain information.

“It’s costing us all our peace of mind, it’s costing us money,” Morales said.

“If you’re a criminal defense attorney, you get an email from law enforcement if the client’s monitor dies or they shut it down,” said Ben Gergen, a criminal defense attorney at Law Firm of Gergen, Hale & Campbell.

Gergen, who is not involved in the case, said he has represented many clients who wore the devices.

He said that a person’s bail is usually withdrawn if they cut off a monitor and if re-arrested they could face higher bail to get out of custody.

“That judge can add $50,000 to bail, and if you ever get out of jail again — now on $100,000 bail — you’re going to have to deal with the same observer,” Gergen said.

Morales said he hopes to get answers as to who the person is soon. He also hopes he doesn’t have to deal with more camps springing up on his property.

“Right now it seems like there’s more decay in this area of ​​Austin,” Morales said.