Pct. 2 constable waiting on HUD to act on 'nuisance home' in SE Houston: 'Our hands are tied'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- People living in a southeast Houston neighborhood are fearing for their safety due to what police are calling a "nuisance house." Neighbors said strangers have been coming and going from the home for about the last year, some of whom have been charged with illegal possession of guns and drugs.

James Rieman serves as a board member for the Historic Glenbrook Valley Civic Club. He spoke out for neighbors who live around the corner from him and were too afraid to talk on camera about the issues coming from the house at 8110 Colgate St.

"The people that live there would punch holes in the fences and then run extension cords to the neighbor's house and steal electricity. We also would see drug paraphernalia, syringes, wrappers, and baggies on the street," Rieman said.

He went on to say, "Even though we live in Houston, this neighborhood has a small-town feel. Everyone knows everybody else. We look after each other, their yards, and their kids. To have a whole bunch of strangers moving in and out really makes us feel uncomfortable."

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Harris County Precinct 2 Constable Jerry Garcia told ABC13 they began receiving calls about this home from neighbors about two months ago. He explained that the owners of the house died years ago, and the property eventually fell into the custody and control of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The house is supposed to be vacant and no one is supposed to be living inside.

Garcia said investigators went undercover to monitor the house and identified Reginald Brown, 40, who has a felony warrant for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, which allowed them to go inside the house to serve a warrant with the U.S. Marshals Service on Thursday.

That's when they found 13 other people inside the property, along with drugs, weapons, stolen bank cards, and jet skis. Five of those individuals were charged with felonies that included possession of a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of identifying information.

"There were mattresses, clothes, and food thrown everywhere. There were maybe 12 rooms that were in deplorable conditions," Garcia said. "This is happening all across the city and county. It doesn't matter if it's a nice neighborhood or not. These are popping up every day, and if we don't stay on top of it, then it's going to get out of hand."

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Neighbors said they still see strangers showing up at all times of the night. Garcia said he can't charge them with criminal trespassing because only a homeowner can be a complainant for the case, not the neighbors. Investigators said a HUD representative could act as the complainant, but Pct. 2 claimed the federal agency hasn't been responsive.

"We learned that HUD has a backlog and we're talking about going back to as far as what has originated during COVID. They're just catching up. Our question is how you prioritize a particular to another. Cooperation is very necessary so we can address this problem," Cpt. Marco Leal said.

Garcia worries that neighbors might have to wait until the house is foreclosed by HUD, which could take about three months.

"Three months is way too long. It's sad. But it's this red tape that keeps us from doing our job. Our hands are tied, but it doesn't mean we're not going to do anything. When neighbors see something, they give us a call, and we're there instantly," Garcia said.

A representative with HUD said they need more time to look into the status of the property before they could issue a response.

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