Independent Heights business owner says he doesn't have confidence HPD will find store burglars

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Security cameras watching these brazen thieves' every move didn't stop them from walking into a business in Independence Heights.

Alex Berrospe owns Drape Stage Productions, an events company that has been there for 12 years. Berrospe told ABC13 that the area has become a crime hotspot, even with a Houston Police Department substation nearby.

On March 24, the two suspects are seen walking in the door with their faces visible to the camera in broad daylight. Minutes later, they're seen walking out with a safe.

According to the owner, they also made it out with checks and a credit card. In the video, one of the cars can be seen doing the scope, looking to see if anyone is around.

"They came in two different cars," Berrospe said. "When you see something taken, something you worked so hard for, and all of a sudden, someone walks in and doesn't care."

According to Berrospe, businesses next door are also dealing with crime.

"They just had a new fence in because they had people breaking into cars, catalytic converters," Berrospe said.

Now, he's counting on HPD to track down the suspects. The police department has been facing intense scrutiny since Chief Troy Finner announced that 261,000 incident reports had been suspended since 2016 due to a lack of staffing.

This has left victims in the dark, wondering if their cases will ever see the light of day.

According to data 13 Investigates obtained through our open records requests, more than 57,000 burglary and robbery reports have been suspended because of staffing since 2017.

In 2023, more than 12,000 reports were suspended, and in 2024, there were nearly 800 before Finner said his officers no longer use the code.

"That's why these people come in and do these things, and they don't care because they know they won't get caught," Berrospe said. "So, they do it and take a chance. It's heartbreaking that in our own city, we don't have enough officers to protect the people."

ABC13 reached out to HPD, and a spokesperson confirmed that officers had the surveillance footage and that the property and financial crimes unit would follow up. However, when HPD asked whether an investigator had been assigned to the case, the spokesperson could not answer that,

If anyone has information on the case, you are asked to contact the Houston Police Department or Crime Stoppers by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip, or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.

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