Burglars allegedly steal $50,000 worth of designer bags again from small business

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For a second time in a year, burglars broke into a resale shop in Old Town Spring and stole $50,000 worth of designer handbags.

The latest burglary at JJ's Closet happened Oct. 7 around 5 a.m.

The store owners shared several surveillance videos. One shows the very beginning of the burglary with an arm reaching in from a hole in the wall to grab a Prada handbag.

Once inside, the burglar crawls around and takes anything he can reach before passing bag after bag through the hole to his friends outside.

"They came in through the back of the building and tore off the siding," one owner told ABC13. "Probably used hammers and busted through the studs and dry walls and made a 4x4 square and came through the area."

It was not the first time the small business had been burglarized. Crooks smashed glass cases and worked fast in November 2023. Then they also stole about $50,000 worth of merchandise.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, they have been working a lead. On Friday night, authorities shared a photo of the suspect's vehicle, which appears to be a black Ford Expedition.

The owner says the same people may be involved in both. Fearing retaliation, he asked to remain anonymous. He is frustrated.

"At this point, justice hasn't been served. This guy hasn't paid any penalties whatsoever for robbing from us the first time. So why not do it the second time? And at this point, we wonder if he's going to do it a third time," the man, who owns the store with his wife, said.

After the first break-in, they added a dozen more cameras, motion detectors, more alarms, and burglar bars. Now, he has re-enforced the back wall. He hopes it's enough.

"These guys seem every time they do something, we make a step to protect ourselves. Then, they come up with another way to break in. That's always in the back of our mind when we go to sleep at night," he said.

Anyone with information about the break-ins is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS.

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