Only on 13: Suspected gang member linked to $3,400 panty theft at Willowbrook Mall, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A suspected gang member arrested last week in Houston was previously wanted by police for stealing $3,400 worth of women's underwear.

Jorgenys Robertson Cova, 32, a Venezuelan national who Texas DPS says is in the U.S. illegally, has been arrested in at least two states for retail theft, according to records obtained by Eyewitness News.

DPS agents say they believe Cova is a member of the violent Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang - or TdA - because of tattoos on his arms.

Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a proclamation declaring the gang a foreign terrorist organization.

"TdA is notorious for their brutal violence and murder and their kidnapping," Abbott said at a news conference announcing the move.

DPS has launched a statewide crackdown on the TdA gang, and Cova was arrested Oct. 7 for a misdemeanor theft warrant out of Pearland. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In July 2023, he was arrested for stealing almost $4,000 worth of clothing and sunglasses from the Houston Saks. Cova was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.

Charges were filed against Cova earlier this year for shoplifting at Willowbrook Mall, although he was never arrested in that case.

Police say that on April 5, he and another man allegedly stole 180 pairs of panties from the Victoria's Secret store.

Officers say Cova returned to the store on April 18 and stole unspecified merchandise with a juvenile accomplice.

According to court records, a Pasadena police officer told investigators she had previously seen Cova in a school pick-up line.

Both Houston theft cases against Cova were later dismissed because he was being held in Arizona on another theft charge at the time, and authorities there declined to extradite him.

Cova was arrested on April 28 in Gilbert, Arizona, for organized retail theft. Police wouldn't provide details about what he stole or from whom.

It's unclear if retail theft is part of Tren de Aragua's normal operations, but Texas DPS has previously stated the gang is focused on making money.

"There is no limit to what those criminal activities are. This is all about profit," DPS director Steve McCraw said.

Eyewitness News has been reaching out to ICE for almost a week to learn more about how Cova is believed to have entered the country. So far, ICE has not returned our requests for information.

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