Deputies arrest San Marcos man in $4,500 trading card thefts tied to vending machine break-ins

A San Marcos man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in trading cards and memorabilia from a vending machine on West Mission Road, authorities said. Deputies took Weston Strawn into custody Thursday outside his residence after detectives served a search warrant at his apartment and a detached garage in the 400 block of Smilax Road.


Investigators said they recovered the cards reported stolen from a machine in the 1200 block of West Mission Road. The vending machine had been broken into on two separate occasions and was left with extensive damage, according to the sheriff’s department.


Detectives also located additional property linked to another theft case in which Strawn was identified as a suspect. He was booked into Vista Jail on suspicion of grand theft. The agency estimated the value of recovered merchandise at about $4,500.