HOUSTON — A Houston family hopes someone can identify the burglar who injured himself after he broke into one of their vehicles.
The incident happened last Friday, just before 5 a.m. in the Keegan Glen neighborhood in southwest Houston.
In surveillance video, the suspect can be seen repeatedly striking a truck window with a screwdriver. When he finally breaks the window, he dives headfirst into the truck.
Mileydy Marin said the thief walked away with more than $8,000 worth of her father’s tools.
“You can see, half [his] body inside the vehicle taking everything, collecting everything,” Marin said. “He’d doing multiple trips, back and forth from our truck to his car, taking all of our stuff.”
Marin explained that her father nearly came in contact with the burglar when he went to walk the family dog. He was the first to notice the broken glass.
“My heart dropped, honestly that morning when he alerted us, it sucks for the entire family when we face anything like it,” she said. "I see my dad and my brothers, hardworking people who now have to gain everything they lost, it impacts all of us."
In the surveillance video, it's clear the suspect did not cover his face. After the burglary, he even left behind DNA evidence behind at the scene: his blood.
“You would think they would cover their face and they didn’t, so I have a full body, a face you can recognize by tattoos," she said.
Marin told KHOU 11 that her family’s vehicles have been broken into a handful of times and they recently dealt with an “aggressive” home inspection scam.
After those increasingly brazen crimes, Marin said she wants to encourage other Houstonians to be more vigilant. In her family’s case, she’s hopeful someone recognizes the suspect and comes forward.
“It’s not OK. Stop taking from humble people that work so hard to create their living and provide for their families,” she said.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact HPD Burglary and Theft at 713-308-0900 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).