Arrest Made in East Austin Shop Burglaries
Larry Ray Vasquez faces burglary of a non-residence charges in six cases across East 6th and East 7th streets.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Property Crime
East Austin shop owners can breathe a little easier after police arrested a 56-year-old man tied to a string of commercial burglaries along East 7th Street and nearby corridors. Austin Police say Larry Ray Vasquez is charged with burglary of a non-residence in six cases, including the July 7 break-in at The Cenote Café.
Why it matters
Commercial burglaries hit the small businesses that keep East Austin's streets busy, and a pattern of break-ins across several blocks is the kind of thing that pushes owners toward costlier security or closing early. The arrest does not close every case yet, and it is not clear from the information released how many of the incidents remain under investigation.
Police have charged 56-year-old Larry Ray Vasquez with burglary of a non-residence in six separate cases across East Austin. The Cenote Café burglary on July 7 is one of the incidents, and the release does not give a total dollar loss for the cases.
The players
Austin Police Department
The city's police department, which investigated the burglaries and announced the arrest of Larry Ray Vasquez.
Larry Ray Vasquez
The 56-year-old man charged with burglary of a non-residence in six cases across East Austin.
The details
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage provided by the owner of The Cenote Café, at 1405 E. 7th St., where officers found a shattered glass door and a pried-open safe after a July 7 burglary. Investigators identified Vasquez from the footage and recognized him from earlier commercial burglary cases, and an arrest warrant charging burglary of a building was issued September 18. Vasquez was already in the Travis County Jail on an unrelated burglary charge when he was served, and the six cases include incidents on East 7th Street, East 6th Street and East Cesar Chavez Street.
Timeline
July 7: Burglary at The Cenote Café, 1405 E. 7th St., discovered by officers.
September 18: Arrest warrant for burglary of a building issued against Vasquez.
November 6, 2026: Austin Police announce the arrest.
The Texas Context
The six linked burglaries span the East 6th and East 7th Street commercial corridors that have seen steady small-business activity in recent years. Because the cases were tied together through surveillance footage and prior arrests, this reads as a single pattern rather than a new trend, and the release does not say whether it extends a wider crime spike in the area.
If you run a business on East 6th or East 7th Street, it is worth checking your door locks and safe anchoring and reporting any new break-ins to APD with footage if you have it. Residents and business owners who notice suspicious activity can contact the Austin Police Department non-emergency line.
The takeaway
Surveillance footage was the key to tying these cases together, which is a reminder for any business owner to keep cameras working and footage accessible. Watch for follow-up on the remaining cases as the charges move through Travis County court.
Further reading
For more on how property crimes are tracked across the city, browse the Property Crime section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KXAN.
