Media Availability with Detective Cristal Estrada and Detective Richard Montes will take place from 10 a.m to 11 a.m. at
1200 Baker Street.
HOUSTON —During the month of December, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Gulf Coast Criminal Investigators Association, participated in Operation Stomp the Grinch, a coordinated enforcement initiative focused on disrupting organized retail theft activity across Harris County during the holiday shopping season.
“Organized retail theft is a serious crime that impacts businesses, consumers, and public safety,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “These crimes drive up costs for everyone and create unsafe conditions in some of our most heavily traveled retail areas.”
During the operation, undercover deputies and investigators worked alongside retail loss-prevention teams inside crowded stores to identify suspects and intervene in active thefts.
In one case, deputies arrested a suspect for skip-scanning at checkout — paying for some items while attempting to steal additional merchandise valued at more than $1,200, including trading cards. Investigators believe the suspect is a repeat offender connected to similar thefts at Target locations. Additional merchandise bearing store identifiers was recovered from the suspect’s vehicle and remains under investigation.
In a separate incident, investigators arrested three suspects outside a Walmart after identifying the use of a stolen Walmart Pay account to purchase gift cards. One suspect was found in possession of numerous stolen checks and was charged with felony identity theft. The remaining suspects were taken into custody on outstanding warrants, including a felony warrant and a parole violation related to mail fraud.
Earlier this year, investigators also advanced a significant retail theft investigation involving the supply chain. Detectives determined that a delivery driver repeatedly concealed stolen merchandise in wooded areas near truck stops before retrieving the items later using a personal vehicle.
That investigation resulted in the recovery of more than $15,000 in stolen Walgreens merchandise.
Overall, Operation Stomp the Grinch, resulted in thousands of dollars in recovered merchandise and more than a dozen arrests. Sheriff Gonzalez emphasized that retail theft is not a victimless crime and that law enforcement agencies will continue working collaboratively to protect the community.
“Those who choose to engage in organized retail theft should know that we will continue to work with our partners to identify them and hold them accountable,” Gonzalez said.
