Suspects targeting Needville-area homes

NEEDVILLE, TX

All the burglaries have happened near the Fort Bend County town during the last two months, and they have people keeping a closer eye on their belongings.

Investigators believe the crimes could be connected, and the suspects are believed to be youngsters.

Ex-Army Corporal Kevin Wolff has sacrificed for the things he has. That's why when someone broke into his home Wednesday, he was more than angry.

"I can guarantee you, if I was home when this happened, they'd be dead right now," Wolff said.

The thieves managed to steal everything from televisions to cameras, to $15,000 worth of firearms and ammo.

But, even more shocking to Wolff is that he wasn't the only homeowner on his block to be violated.

"It is out of hand," he said. "It's way out of hand."

Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office officials say since the beginning of April, there have been 16 home burglaries all within this area just north of Needville.

In each case, the suspects usually break in through a back door and usually during daylight hours when the residents are at work or school. Because of the remote location, authorities believe the suspects may be from the area.

"Unless you had some basic knowledge of the place and the people, you probably wouldn't feel very comfortable going in there," Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Craig Brady said.

To make matters even worse, on Wednesday, an 81-year-old woman was beaten when two men robbed her at her house in the same area. Even though authorities don't believe it was connected to the burglaries, neighbors are still on alert.

"It concerns anybody," neighbor Sam Dunbar said. "You just hope it ain't you, try look out for your neighbors."

As for Wolff, he now keeps close for protection, not just for himself, but his wife and seven-month-old son, he says.

"Worked our tails off to get what we have for someone to walk up into my home and take what I've worked for -- it's a horrible thing," Wolff said.

In all, authorities believe hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of valuables have been stolen from the homes. They're currently following up on several strong leads.

Anyone with information regarding the burglaries is encouraged to contact the Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers hotline at 281-342-8477.