Truck was broken into by a couple of Houston's most upstanding individuals yesterday afternoon. In a hospital parking lot, as I was welcoming kiddo #2 into the world. Happened between 4-5 pm, broad freakin daylight!
Local PD (not Houston PD) shows up and report is filed. Later that night I find the items for sale on Facebook marketplace (seller posted pictures that showed the serial numbers matching my stuff). Immediately I sent the info over to the local PD contact thinking "heck yeah we got the SOBs, or at least our belongings back". I was told by the contact that they'd have it resolved in 24 hours. Have all the info needed and readily available to find the guy, he has quite the social media footprint (license plates galore, fancies himself quite the rapper). All the while in the back of my mind I'm dwelling on the fact not much will probably be done on the prosecution side of things because, well we're in Harris County.
Fast forward to this morning, I talk with the detective on the case and I'm told that they work 1/2 days on Friday (maybe this is just for the holiday). Also seemed to indicate that the hospital wasn't going to be sharing the security footage (figured this was some sort of CYA move on their part). The local PD made an offer to buy our missing items together (which to me would've seemed like a big tip off to the seller), and were turned down. Told them that there was 1 particular item that is of irreplaceable importance that we would like to have, so that they would work that purchase as their angle. He also seemed to think that not much would happen to the criminals even if found thanks to current DA office tendencies. It's now 8:00 pm and the items are still for sale on FB. So now we…wait?
Gave them pretty much everything they needed on a silver platter to show that this was my stuff and/or how to go get the guy, whether or not the seller is actually one of the people that committed the crime.
What are my options here, wait for the long weekend and the thug to sell it to someone else, or be a man and go buy back my own stolen stuff (latter sounds like the most fun but probably least wise option)? Be patient and hope that local law enforcement follows through, or check with HCSO, or Houston PD? Assemble the OB tactical team and ride at dawn?
I plan to share more details once it looks like this gets resolved/becomes unresolvable, but for now forgive me as I try not to give too much away.
Local PD (not Houston PD) shows up and report is filed. Later that night I find the items for sale on Facebook marketplace (seller posted pictures that showed the serial numbers matching my stuff). Immediately I sent the info over to the local PD contact thinking "heck yeah we got the SOBs, or at least our belongings back". I was told by the contact that they'd have it resolved in 24 hours. Have all the info needed and readily available to find the guy, he has quite the social media footprint (license plates galore, fancies himself quite the rapper). All the while in the back of my mind I'm dwelling on the fact not much will probably be done on the prosecution side of things because, well we're in Harris County.
Fast forward to this morning, I talk with the detective on the case and I'm told that they work 1/2 days on Friday (maybe this is just for the holiday). Also seemed to indicate that the hospital wasn't going to be sharing the security footage (figured this was some sort of CYA move on their part). The local PD made an offer to buy our missing items together (which to me would've seemed like a big tip off to the seller), and were turned down. Told them that there was 1 particular item that is of irreplaceable importance that we would like to have, so that they would work that purchase as their angle. He also seemed to think that not much would happen to the criminals even if found thanks to current DA office tendencies. It's now 8:00 pm and the items are still for sale on FB. So now we…wait?
Gave them pretty much everything they needed on a silver platter to show that this was my stuff and/or how to go get the guy, whether or not the seller is actually one of the people that committed the crime.
What are my options here, wait for the long weekend and the thug to sell it to someone else, or be a man and go buy back my own stolen stuff (latter sounds like the most fun but probably least wise option)? Be patient and hope that local law enforcement follows through, or check with HCSO, or Houston PD? Assemble the OB tactical team and ride at dawn?
I plan to share more details once it looks like this gets resolved/becomes unresolvable, but for now forgive me as I try not to give too much away.