MIDLAND, Texas — A 20-year-old Midland man has been arrested after allegedly stealing $8,000 in cash from a man who was trying to buy a car, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Police identified the suspect as Mario Deallen Butts Jr., who allegedly took the money after the victim briefly left it unattended inside a vehicle that Butts had been driving.
According to Midland Police Department (MPD) officers, the theft occurred around 11:49 a.m. on Friday, August 15, after the victim — whose car had broken down — arranged to meet Butts through Facebook Marketplace to find a replacement vehicle.
The victim told police that Butts picked him up from a man camp in Big Spring and drove him to Midland, stopping at several ATMs to withdraw the money for the car purchase. Their final stop was at a convenience store on the 2100 block of West Wall Street, where the victim went inside to buy water, leaving the cash in the car. When he returned, Butts and the vehicle were gone.
Detectives later contacted Butts by phone on October 17, and he admitted to recalling the incident but denied taking the money. He claimed the victim had been trying to purchase drugs — a statement police said was inconsistent with evidence.
Investigators reviewed text messages between Butts and the victim, which confirmed the victim’s intent to purchase a vehicle. Detectives noted that the tone and volume of Butts’ messages made it appear as if he was “representing a car dealership rather than simply assisting a random person.”
When police followed up with Butts to request a polygraph test, he declined, saying his attorney had advised him not to speak further.
Butts was arrested and booked into the Midland County Central Detention Center on a charge of theft between $2,500 and $30,000, a state jail felony. His bail was set at $20,000.
