From the Desk of Chief Ray Schultz

Detectives have been busy again this week working on their cases and in obtaining an arrest warrant for one of the suspects and positively identifying a second suspect. They will obtain a warrant for that suspect early next week. The first case involved a burglary from a motor vehicle where the suspect was tracked down using the MVPD ALPR system and then by tracking the use of one of the victims stolen credit cards. A surveillance camera captured her image while using the victim’s credit card.

This was the case where the mother, who was visiting (for the holidays) from out of town, was identified as our suspect, by her son whose car she had borrowed. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for the 50-year-old suspect from Louisiana.  It will be just a matter of time now before our suspect is picked up and gets a return trip to Houston where family can visit her this time at the Jail.

The other incident was another auto burglary where the victim’s purse had been stolen when she dropped off a child at an area school.  Again, the ALPR assisted in solving this case too. This was the case where the criminal covered the plate with cardboard, but the cardboard blew off and they then took the plate off the vehicle. The ALPR system showed the vehicle with the cardboard and later with the entire plate. The vehicle was a rental car and after tracking down the rental agreement and obtaining the video from the rental business we had a possible name and a picture of our suspect. A check of the name through the database identified the multiple time, repeat offender (who is also a grandmother, aged 47).  A second photograph of her was later located when she used a stolen credit card at an area gas station. The pictures of both the user of the credit card and the car renter matched. Adding to her bad luck, she had pawned the stolen purse for $300. The security system from the pawn shop provided a third great photo of her as well. Now that she has been positively identified, an arrest warrant can be obtained for her arrest.

Now, if we are really lucky, both of these women will be picked up and maybe have the opportunity to meet each other at the Harris County Jail. There they can share stories of what great role models they are for their children and grandchildren.

Chapelwood had a scavenger hunt last weekend for area teenagers in the Memorial area. One of the tasks was for the teams to make their way to the MVPD and once here take a photo of the teens creating a human pyramid in front of the MVPD building.  Attached are a couple pictures of some of the teams completing their pyramids.

During the holidays many residents dropped off gift cards here at the department for staff. Some of the gifts included a card for every employee and sometimes they were from 1 up to 8. This morning we drew names and distributed 33 miscellaneous gift cards ranging from fast food to very nice dinners for two at area restaurants.  As always, thank you to everyone who dropped off, items, food, fruit, and tickets during the holidays and this week where we received kolaches, bagels, cookies and even a big bag full of hot Jack in the Box tacos. Our staff truly appreciates your generosity.

The 4th Annual Food Truck Rodeo has been scheduled for April 1, 2023. We will once again be at Chapelwood with an even larger event. We are getting the food trucks confirmed along with entertainment. So, save the date now and plan to stop by for an opportunity to buy a great lunch from some of Houston’s best food trucks. More information to come.

Birdies Fore Blues III, what is better than a day of springtime golf? Nothing! The Third Annual Birdies Fore Blues Golf Outing and Tournament has been scheduled for March 9, 2023. As the final details are being put together for this year’s event plan on joining us again for an even bigger and better golf tournament. Area first responders and student athletes from Memorial High School will join forces and play with area residents and sponsors on 4-person teams. We will once again be at the Houston Oaks Golf Club in Hockley, Texas.   Students from Memorial High School led by this year’s tournament chairman, Senior Harrison Lee, are ready to showcase their organizing and business skills, tournament preparations, and fundraising abilities for this year’s event. More details will be posted on the Memorial Villages Police Foundation Facebook page and website in the coming days.    Birdies Fore Blues (mvpf.net)

Have you seen the MVPD D.A.R.E. vehicle at one of our village schools? Officer Monica Vasquez drives the freshly marked D.A.R.E. vehicle and parks it out front when she is either visiting or instructing at one of our schools. Our thanks to Tommy Vaughn Ford for donating the use of a new vehicle for our drone operations that has allowed us to mark up the old drone vehicle with the D.A.R.E. logos. The presence of a police car at our schools never hurts!

Have a great weekend. Chief Ray Schultz rschultz@mvpdtx.org

Weekly Crime Report

Bunker Hill

1/10/23 at 0730 Hours. 200 Block of Stoney Creek. Fraud. The victim reported that while reviewing her bank accounts she located a check that she had written and mailed at a mailbox in the 9400 block of the Katy Freeway had been intercepted, washed then reissued to a person whom she did not know and cashed. Information about the check and the cashing bank was obtained and provided to detectives for their follow up investigation. 

1/11/23 at 0745 Hours. 11900 Arbordale. Fraud. The victim reported that her purse had been stolen from her vehicle while she was in the city of Houston on 1/10/22. Constables had taken a report and she had cancelled her credit cards. On this date, she received notice from her bank of an overdrawn account. A review of her account showed a check had been drawn at a Pearland Bank. Further review found a second attempt to withdraw funds occurred in Sugarland. The bank in Sugarland retained the victim’s driver’s license during that attempted fraud as the suspect fled.  Information about the bank activities/events was collected and forwarded to MVPD detectives who will be following up on the case.  

1/11/23 at 1000 Hours. 300 Block of Knipp. Fraud.  The victim reported that he received a credit card in the mail that he did not order or request. A review of the credit card found activity to be occurring on the card, but with credits occurring and not charges.  The bank froze the account as it is believed to be part of a larger fraud event. Information about the account was collected and provided to detectives who will be working with bank investigators on the incident.

1/12/23 at 1200 Hours. 11300 Block of Williamsburg. Theft. The victim reported that a former house cleaner had taken items from her home without permission over a period of approximately a year. Suspecting the house cleaner was taking items, the victim began closely watching the housekeeper and in September caught her taking items from a closet. The victim confronted the house cleaner and gave her the opportunity to return the items and withheld payment from the housekeeper. The housekeeper has not returned the items and has not contacted the victim. Information about the incident was collected and provided to detectives.  The DA’s Office was contacted about the incident but declined charges stating the incident is a civil matter between the parties involved.

1/12/23 at 1600 Hours. 1-100 Block of Dunnam. Possession of ID Information of Another. Officers had stopped a vehicle for displaying a fraudulent temporary license plate. Upon approaching the driver officers observed the vehicle to be full of unopened mail addressed to properties across the metro area. The driver refused to allow officers to search his vehicle but stated he would give us the mail.  The DA’s office was contacted and instructed officers to seize the mail but not to search the vehicle. The mail was provided to MVPD detectives for follow up. The 34-year-old male was positively identified and issued multiple citations for using the fraudulent paper license tag. The investigation is on-going.  

Piney Point

1/10/23 at 0845 Hours. 11200 Block of Tynewood. Theft. The victim returned home from being out of town and expected a package to have been delivered to the residence. Upon not locating the package the victim reviewed surveillance video and observed a male take the package at 0247 hours in the morning.  The suspect was seen pulling up and stopping in the street in a small white vehicle and then running up to the door and taking the package before running back to the car. The suspect was wearing a hoodie pulled down covering his face. A review of nearby ALPR license plate readers narrowed down possible suspect vehicles. MVPD detectives have taken over the investigation.

1/11/23 at 1730 Hours. 11100 Block of Greenbay. Driving While Intoxicated. Officers were notified of a suspicious vehicle stopped in the parking lot of Chapelwood. Officers were nearby and located the occupied vehicle. The car had extensive fresh damage to the vehicle. The driver was contacted and found to be intoxicated. A check of the area located a tree that had been stuck by the vehicle on Hedwig Road.  The 58-year-old male subject was also found to have an outstanding felony warrant for a previous DWI arrest. The male was booked into the Harris County Jail and the vehicle was towed.

1/12/23 at 1115 Hours. 1-100 Block of Oaklawn. Theft. The victim stated that over the past several months she has been receiving medical care both at a hospital and at home requiring nursing assistance and maid service. The victim had limited mobility and was unable to access all areas of her home. Now that she has recovered, she was checking her jewelry and found approximately 6 very unique items missing. During her convalescence, personnel working for the 2 service companies changed on a regular basis. Information about the 2 companies and workers who were onsite was obtained from the victim. Information and descriptions of the missing items were collected and provided to detectives who are following up on the theft that took place sometime during the past several weeks.   

1/12/23 at 1430 Hours. 11300 Block of Bothwell. Fraud. The victim reported that she had received a phone call from a person that she thought was a lieutenant from the Harris County Constables Office. The person asked to return the call and provided a phone number.  She called the number, where the caller ID showed it to be the Constables Office. The male on the phone told the victim that she had failed to attend Federal Court for jury duty and a warrant had been issued for her arrest. The victim was provided 2 case numbers, and a new court date. The victim was also told that she could post a bond and not have to attend the next scheduled hearing. The victim was instructed to obtain $5000 in Money Pak cards and to mail them to a Washington, DC address. The victim obtained the cards and mailed them to Washington, DC. Soon after the victim realized she had been scammed. Information about the incident and phone numbers involved were obtained and have been provided to detectives for their follow up investigation.