Shelbyville man arrested following burglary at former boat plant in San Augustine

SAN AUGUSTINE, Texas (KTRE) - After a weeks-long investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, an arrest has been made in connection with a burglary at the former Ray Craft boat plant in San Augustine County. [KLTV Channel 7 News]

A multi-agency investigation spanning several weeks culminated in the arrest of a Shelbyville man accused of burglarizing the abandoned Ray Craft boat manufacturing facility in San Augustine County.

Jason Oray Smith, 42, was taken into custody Aug. 6 following a coordinated search warrant execution involving San Augustine County Sheriff's Deputies Chad Hooper and Sgt. Mike Williams, along with personnel from the Center Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

The case began when a San Augustine County deputy discovered signs of forced entry at the shuttered boat plant. The officer observed a damaged gate and a partially open bay door during an initial inspection. When the deputy returned July 18 with a sergeant to investigate further, they confirmed a vehicle had entered the structure. Evidence at the scene included tire impressions left in spilled paint that extended across the parking area and onto a nearby county road. Investigators photographed the marks and installed motion-activated cameras on the property to document any subsequent intrusions.

Review of the surveillance footage on Aug. 5 revealed a black Ford pickup truck registered to Smith entering the property. Video evidence also captured images of Smith alongside two unidentified men inside the building on Aug. 3 and 4. Investigators identified Smith through distinctive tattoos visible in the footage and by comparing the images against his prior mugshots. Authorities determined Smith maintained a residence in Shelby County.

Investigators contacted the out-of-state property owners, who confirmed that unauthorized entry was occurring. The owners provided an inventory of equipment stored at the facility, including a Dodge truck, John Deere tractor with various attachments, Chevrolet truck, heavy-duty tandem-axle trailer equipped with an air compressor, custom-built smoker trailer, and a 14-foot single-axle trailer. All of these items were reported missing.

When officers executed the search warrant at Smith's residence in Shelbyville, they discovered him living in a converted outbuilding. During the search, authorities recovered three rifles—two of which had been reported stolen from Nacogdoches and Shelby counties—two pistols, a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine, a stolen Suzuki dirt bike, the 14-foot trailer, the smoker trailer, a Generac generator, a Yamaha Rhino utility vehicle, and numerous additional items connected to the burglary. Smith remains in custody on a burglary of a building charge.