Houston, Texas (KTRK) – Houston Police Chief Troy Fenner announced Tuesday that the Houston Police Department is forming a task force in response to an increase in “juggling” over the past year.
“Juggings” are crimes in which fraudsters chase victims from banks or stores in order to rob or steal from them. As reported by ABC13, police have seen a slight uptick since last August.
“We are creating a citywide task force, which will include other law enforcement partners,” Fenner announced during a wide-ranging news conference with Mayor Sylvester Turner. And the message is: If you keep doing this, we will put you in jail.
This past Friday afternoon, Tiffanye Oderwale became the victim of a run-in.
“Just be aware of your surroundings, and hopefully have a sixth sense of what danger is out there,” Oderwale said.
Oderwale shared a video of some of the crimes. The fraudster, who was wearing an orange vest, rammed her car outside the West Houston restaurant that O’Derwalli owned with her husband. He grabbed her handbag and took off. Fortunately, she said, her wallet fell into her car, and the thief didn’t take her laptop. However, he was patient.
“He waited, and he waited, and it took from 2:46 to 2:58 in the video. In that time frame, he was there,” she said.
Police believe the fraudster targeted her at a bank. She said she was in two different places to do the transactions. Then he followed her to the restaurant.
Police say “charlatans” target victims at banks, high-end stores and gun ranges. Often, they work in teams and do hours of watch in vehicles with dark and paper flaps.
Police always advise you to be aware of your surroundings and if you feel you are being followed, call for help. They also warn against stopping with cash or valuables in the car.
“It’s absolutely amazing that they are this bold,” said Oderwale.
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https://abc13.com/houston-jugging-police-task-force-crime-prevention-hpd-chief-troy-finner/13352712/
