Police take down trio after stealing $78K Escalade at River Oaks-area apartment complex, docs show
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Three men have been charged after Houston police witnessed them steal a luxury SUV from an apartment complex parking garage in the River Oaks area, court records state.
Marcus Mitchell, 27; Courtney Donaldson, 29; and Nicholas Harper, 34, are charged with theft greater than $30,000 and engaging in organized criminal activity.
According to an affidavit, the trio were "known auto theft suspects" targeting high-end vehicles "in the Houston Galleria since May of 2023."
On Feb. 5, under police surveillance, they started at the Windsor West University Apartments on Bissonnet, where they followed a resident. Police said they circled the parking garage and then left empty-handed.
It was at their next stop, the Crimson Luxury Apartments on Westcreek, where they had success. The affidavit states the suspects entered the parking garage in one car and came out in two after stealing a $78,000 Cadillac Escalade.
Officers with HPD's Auto Theft Crimes Task Force arrested the trio and found a device that helped them start the SUV, the affidavit states.
"A search of the defendant's car found a device used by locksmiths to reprogram vehicles," a prosecutor told the court during Mitchell's first appearance.
While violent crimes are trending down in Houston, auto thefts are up 22.5% over the last 12 months, according to ABC13's Neighborhood Safety Tracker. There is an average of 368 stolen vehicles each week.
ABC13 has covered numerous chop shop busts since the beginning of the year.
In court records, police list Cadillac Escalades, Chevrolet Silverados, GMC Sierras, Chevrolet Camaros, and Chevrolet Corvettes as vehicles being targeted.
Police encourage people to purchase an after-market security alarm and steering wheel clubs to prevent theft and to place a tracking device on their vehicles in the event they are stolen.
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