Maryland man Bradley Joseph Ahearn has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery tied to events in New Braunfels in 2020, according to Comal County officials and KENS 5. The case involved an attempted theft at a business along Interstate 35 and a resident who was later robbed at gunpoint.
A Break-In That Spiraled Into Armed Robbery
Ahearn pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery tied to the Aug. 20, 2020, events, according to the Comal County District Attorney's Office, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. KENS 5 reported that Ahearn and an unidentified man allegedly broke into an Interstate 35 business to steal an ATV and trailer. New Braunfels police arrived at 2:24 a.m., and the two men fled, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The night did not end there. A few hours after the break-in, Ahearn and the unidentified man robbed a resident of the Magnolia Springs neighborhood in New Braunfels, according to the District Attorney's Office. Officials say Ahearn pointed a gun at the resident before taking his vehicle and wallet, stealing the man's car at gunpoint after the failed burglary at the New Braunfels store, as noted by KENS 5, according to Comal County officials. Ahearn was later arrested in San Antonio, KENS 5 reported.
A Documented History With Firearms
The District Attorney's Office said Ahearn also faced burglary, theft and criminal mischief charges in connection with the case. The San Antonio Express-News reported that he had three previous convictions for unlawful possession of firearms.
What statewide robbery data show
The cited data do not provide a New Braunfels-specific robbery rate. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the statewide robbery rate was 91.1 per 100,000 people in 2020 and 75.6 in 2021, a 17% decrease. Those statewide figures cover robberies generally, not carjackings specifically, and do not establish the risk of a particular incident in New Braunfels.
A Bradley Ahearn, 23, was linked to the 2017 shooting of a U.S. Mail carrier in Spring Branch, Texas.
In a separate case, Bradley Ahearn pleaded guilty to seven federal charges tied to the 2017 shooting of a U.S. Mail carrier in Spring Branch, Texas.
Ahearn's guilty plea and 35-year sentence resolve the aggravated-robbery prosecution arising from the 2020 New Braunfels case.
