Follow the trail: Trail of blood leads to Texas man’s arrest

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  • Garrett Oppel, a 19-year-old male from Gainesville, Texas is facing Second-Degree Burglary charges after Madill Police investigated a blood trail that seemed to lead to him. Courtesy photo
    Garrett Oppel, a 19-year-old male from Gainesville, Texas is facing Second-Degree Burglary charges after Madill Police investigated a blood trail that seemed to lead to him. Courtesy photo
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Garrett Oppel, a 19-year-old male from Gainesville, Texas was arrested on March 8 for Burglary. At approximately 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, Madill Police Sergeant Chris Smith, Sergeant Andrew Adams and Officer J.T. Moore were dispatched to the Sunshine Thrift Store on Second Avenue to respond to an alarm call.

Upon arriving on scene, Adams and Moore pulled to the front side of Texoma Hemp Corner, and Smith checked out the back side of the business. That was when Smith noticed the glass door on the rear entrance was broken.

Smith immediately radioed the other two officers and they joined him at what would be the crime scene.

As the officers approached the scene, Smith noticed blood on the ground outside the door, and on the inside of the door on the floor. This was Smith’s proof that somebody had indeed broken into the Sunshine Thrift Store.

The officers entered the building to clear it, and noticed more blood spots heading toward the double doors on the inside of the building. Curiously, once they reached the double doors, the blood spots ceased.

The officers cleared the building and found it empty, then proceeded back outside to look for the blood trail. While outside, the officers noticed a white pickup at the end of the alley on South Third Street.

The lights were on and the occupant in the truck was yelling something, even though he was too far to understand what was being said.

Smith moved closer to the truck to hear the driver of the truck, and he was telling the officers that he noticed a white car leaving from the same area as the crime scene. The driver then pointed out where the white car was currently sitting.

Smith and the other officers approached the white car, and saw a white male, who was identified as Oppel, in the driver’s seat. Smith shone his light in the car, and Oppel immediately raised his hands in the air. That was when Smith noticed blood on both the driver’s hands.

The officer then drew his weapon and ordered the suspect to exit the vehicle and get on the ground.

The suspect refused to get on the ground, until Smith neared closer to Oppel and repeated the order. At that time, he laid on the ground, and according to the police report stated “he didn’t do anything wrong.”

After a bit of a struggle, Smith, Adams and Moore were able to detain the suspect. Adams donned a pair of latex gloves to handcuff Oppel due to the amount of blood on his hands and wrists.

Smith contacted Marshall County Dispatch because the suspect was in need of medical attention. The EMS service brought Oppel to Alliance Health to be tended; Moore rode in the ambulance and Adams followed.

Once EMS left the scene with Oppel, Smith searched the car and found two liquor bottles. He also noted blood on the steering wheel, the driver’s door, and the driver’s seat. He opened the truck and found a few items looking like they belonged to the thrift store.

After Smith processed all the evidence from the crime scene and spoke with a representative of the business, he proceeded back to the Marshall County Jail to start his booking paperwork.

This is where things get a little odd. While Moore was transporting Oppel to the jail, after just getting stitches for open wounds, Oppel removed his bandages and began pulling the stitches out of his hand.

The EMS service was con tacted once again to come and check on the suspect. They brought him back to Alliance Health to check on his new injuries.

While waiting in the ER, Smith asked the suspect a few questions about his past, and Oppel opened up to him. According to Smith’s report, “While in the ER, I asked Mr. Oppel if he had been in trouble with the law before and Mr. Oppel laughed and said yes, he has two felony charges out of Gainesville, Texas.”

Smith inquired if he was still going through court proceedings for it, and Oppel affirmed that he was out on a $25,000 bond – he has since pled not guilty.

Oppel then informed Smith the charges were for Evading Arrest and Assault on a Public Servant.

Smith asked who the public servant was, and Oppel responded it was a nurse. Allegedly, Oppel also stated that “she deserved it because she was being a [redacted].”

Oppel was fixed up once again by the doctor at Alliance Health and returned to the jail, where he was placed in a restraint chair to keep him from harming himself until he detoxed.

He was booked into the Marshall County Jail and is currently facing charges for Second-Degree Burglary.