And now the picture is coming a little more into focus.
Back in early May, three Texas Tech football players -- sophomore offensive lineman Robert Castaneda, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Trace Ellison and sophomore linebacker Dakota Allen -- were dismissed from the football program “due to a failure to uphold student-athlete expectations.” This past weekend, Castaneda was arrested in connection to a January home burglary. Now, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is reporting, Ellison has been arrested in connection to the same burglary.
According to the Avalanche-Journal, Ellison has been charged with burglary of a habitation, a second-degree felony. It’s alleged that Ellison, Castaneda and a third unnamed person who has yet to be arrested broke into a home when the residents were away and stole a gun safe containing seven firearms, two digital cameras and a 40-inch television.
Castaneda’s attempt to fence one of the hot firearms led to the trio’s demise. From the paper’s account of Ellison’s arrest:One of the stolen firearms, a shotgun, was found for sale in March at a local sporting goods store. Investigators traced the shotgun sale to Castaneda who admitted to breaking into the home with two other people and stealing a gun safe. He identified to police Ellison and the third accomplice by their jersey numbers.
Castaneda reportedly told investigators Ellison approached him and the other player with a plan to burglarize the home where he believed one of the residents sold marijuana.
Investigators spoke with Ellison at the Tech field house where he admitted to breaking into the home to steal drugs and money because he knew the home’s residents would be away. However, the three didn’t find drugs or money and stole the gun safe instead. Ellison admitted they used his pick up truck to drive away with the stolen safe.The paper added that “Allen, who has not been arrested, was identified in the warrant as part of the investigation.”
