HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston police arrested two men accused of being tied to a string of burglaries in downtown Houston near Minute Maid Park, according to officers.
The Houston Police Department said 21-year-old Terry Jose Emanuel and 23-year-old Jarek Jace Thomas allegedly played a role in the burglaries of several vehicles from multiple parking lots along Dallas, Congress, and Chartres Streets on Sunday.
The ABC13 Neighborhood Safety tracker found there were more than 650 thefts from vehicles in this area and downtown over the last 12 months. The data shows that thefts are trending up 14% from the year prior.
“I was like, ‘I can’t believe it,'” Frances Elizondo, a burglary victim, said.
Elizondo is one of several victims who had a firearm stolen from their vehicles.
Houston police said officers were able to recover seven stolen weapons and $41,000 in cash from the suspects’ possession.
“(I) noticed the glove box was open with everything on the floor, and the first thing I thought of was my purse,” Elizondo said.
The purse is too big to carry into the park, and weapons are not allowed inside. Robert Boyett had a similar issue with his pistol.
“We realized our truck had been broken into. The people right next to us walked to their vehicle and were like, ‘Our vehicle was broken into,'” Boyett said.
Suspects Emanuel and Thomas are accused of trying to evade officers and get onto the freeway.
Police said when they tried to conduct a traffic stop, both suspects ran away, but after a short chase, both of the men were arrested.
HPD confirms that officers were doing an undercover vehicle burglary operation near Minute Maid Park.
ABC13’s Neighborhood Safety Tracker shows there were 28 car break-ins reported in the downtown area in just a 5-hour period, the night before.
Police found both suspects, who are now charged with evading and burglary of a motor vehicle. Boyett and Elizondo told Eyewitness News they got their property back and now plan to do things a little differently.
“They sell lock boxes that you can mount inside. So, even if they break in, they can’t get to your pistol, so I think I’ll get something like that,” Boyett said.
HPD sent a release on Monday afternoon reminding drivers to help prevent firearm thefts by either leaving guns at home or securing a gun safe inside the vehicle.
For updates on this story, follow Daniela Hurtado on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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