Investigators say a 45-year-old man who allegedly terrorized small churches around Austin was ultimately tripped up by his own technology, with a digital trail leading officers from quiet sanctuaries to a fast-food parking lot in Manor.
Gregory Dwayne Vaden was arrested on Oct. 8 in Manor after a license-plate reader flagged a small red SUV in a restaurant parking lot. Officers reported finding a gun and a small bag of meth during a search of the vehicle, and he was booked on two counts of burglary following the stop, which stemmed from an outstanding warrant tied to the SUV, according to FOX 7 Austin. Police said Vaden told officers he had recently relapsed and, in interviews cited by detectives, described owing people money.
Investigators Trace a Digital Trail
Detectives say the real break in the case came after they pulled data from Vaden’s cellphone and the SUV’s telecommunications system. Time-stamped location pings and call logs, combined with surveillance timestamps, helped them map a series of church break-ins across several jurisdictions, according to reporting by KXAN…