Surveillance camera catches thief in $200K watch heist at The Galleria
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Someone out there is targeting big box stores at shopping malls, and the burglar doesn't seem to worry about being caught on surveillance video.
The dramatic video from Macy's in the Galleria captures the burglar as he brazenly breaks through the glass door at the Macy's parking garage. Multiple camera angles capture the thief swiping $200,000 worth of watches and then making a clean getaway.
"As a shopper, it makes you feel very unsafe, and it makes you not want to come to the store," said Vera Fletcher, a frequent Macy's shopper. "Because you don't know if you're being protected or not."
The Galleria incident happened on June 10, but the suspect's method, using a small hatchet to break the door window before entering, looks eerily familiar.
Investigators in Pearland believe he or his associates may have also broken into its Macy's twice. The first break-in occurred on New Year's morning, the next on May 28th. Both times, the bad guy went through the store's roof. Both times, he got away with expensive watches.
Eyewitness News also obtained video from Brazoria County Sheriff's, which shows another similar break-in happened at the Kohl's store in February.
Watching the video, it becomes clear this thief had a plan, and that his clothing were strikingly similar. He wears all black, he moves quickly, and he appears to use the same type of tool to break the glass.
The same incident also happened at the Sears at the West Oaks Mall on June 24. In addition, break-ins in Conroe and Pasadena are also being investigated.
"There's crime everywhere, you... we have to be careful, what can you do? Now I would think especially the Galleria, they should have some high motion sensors, glass sensors going off," said shopper Allen Jimenez. "I think malls in general have to step their games up."
Crime Stoppers is now offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest.
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