Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables arrested 35-year-old Noel Cabello, of Spring. Officers also want to find a second suspect still at large.
Deputies say Cabello and an accomplice would go to neighborhoods and steal tailgates off of pickups. Investigators say the suspects would resell the tailgates on Craigslist.org for about $350. The tailgates could sell for about $1,400 at repair shops.
"Several of the complainants through looking on Craigslist discovered tailgates meeting the descriptions of their tailgates that were stolen from their respective trucks," said Captain Wally Wieghat with the Harris Co. Precinct 4 Constable's Office.
One victim told investigators that she saw her stolen tailgate for sale on Craigslist about an hour after she noticed it was missing. She said she met the seller in person and got his license plate to give to authorities, and that the serial number on that tailgate matched the number of her stolen tailgate.
Police say the female victim later identified Cabello out of a photo lineup.
Deputies say Cabello told them he was stealing the tailgates to make money for his kids' Christmas presents.
Bond has been set at $2,000 in this case.
