WACO, Texas — The Waco Police Department was impressed with security officer Ramiro Castillo's commitment to his job and protecting the community, after he stopped a car burglary suspect at Melody Ranch in July 2018, so they presented him with the Citizen's Certificate of Merit.
He accepted the award on Dec. 18, 2018.
A string of vehicle burglaries plagued the Melody Ranch dance hall for weeks last summer, according to a press release from Pro Security Group.
As a result, the dance hall hired the security group to monitor its parking lot.
Pro Security Group officer Castillo was on solo routine duty one July evening, when he saw a man looking into cars in the parking lot and crouching to hide from passing cars.
Castillo then took cover behind a truck to get a better view of the man. The suspect then used a tool to break a window of a vehicle and stole things from inside, the release said.
Castillo then announced he was a secuirty officer and rushed the 6-foot tall, 250 pound suspect. The man was much larger than Castillo, and he fought back to escape.
Castillo used his strength, training and pepper spray to restrain the man until Waco police arrived at the scene, the release said.
Castillo's uniform was torn and bloodied, and he was covered in scrapes and cuts.
