NOTE: An indictment is a formal charge and not an indication of guilt. The Van Alstyne News does not include suspects’ names until or unless they are indicted
By Mary Jane Farmer for the Van Alstyne News
Ivan Benway
Indictments
The Grayson County Grand Jury recently indicted two area people, one from Van Alstyne and the other from Howe.
According to the GC District Attorney’s office, the Grand Jury indicted Ivan Joseph Benway, age 48, on a charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Van Alstyne Police Lt. Steven Hayslip reported the incident happened on July 12, 2021, and the indictment stemmed from an automobile accident that happened that day and the suspect is accused of intentionally causing the crash in a reckless manner. Grayson County Jail records show this suspect was jailed by the Grayson County District Attorney’s Office on a warrant and that he posted $15,000 bail in surety bonds the day after his incarceration.
Also indicted was Abraham Tellez, age 32, of Howe and this was for the offense of Evading Arrest/Detention with a Vehicle. Van Alstyne police reported that about 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, police were sent to northbound U.S. Highway 75 because of a reckless driver.
Police located the vehicle and witnessed the vehicle being driven erratically, almost striking several other vehicles, Hayslip said. They initiated a traffic stop with emergency lights turned on the patrol car, but the driver did not pull over. The vehicle sped up to speeds reaching 100 mph, but then left the highway at the Haning Street exit. The driver, Abraham Tellez, was taken into custody and jailed for the offense and also on a charge of Driving While Intoxicated. He posted a total of $11,500 bail in surety bonds they next day for his release.
Arrest — October 26, about 9:30 p.m., Van Alstyne Police arrested a suspect on a charge of burglary of vehicles.
Hayslip said police were called to a home in the 200 block of Paris street because of a burglary in progress. They found the suspect on the scene and arrested him on the felony charge.
The suspect posted bail of $1,500 in surety bonds on the 27th of October, according to Grayson County Jail records.
All other arrests during this time frame were for Driving While Intoxicated. Some of these arrests were enhanced because the suspect(s) had children in the car under the age of 15, had open containers of alcohol with them while driving, and, in one case, it was the third or more time the driver had been charged with DWI.