HOUSTON – Detectives arrested two men after a burglary inside The Galleria Mall Wednesday morning.
Police said the men likely got into the mall through one of the hotels. They used a hammer and an ax to get inside the Chanel store.
Once inside, they took dozens of high-priced purses each worth thousands of dollars. Police said they stuffed the purses into a trash bag and started running.
Security guards chased the men, but they got away.
There was an off-duty HPD officer in the area. He caught up with one of the suspects and there was a struggle. The officer eventually used his taser to subdue the burglary suspect.
The man who was shocked with a taser was checked out at the scene and taken to jail along with a second suspect. They have been identified by police as 29-year-old Dalton Francis and 28-year-old Joshua Pynnell.
Charges are pending against them, while detectives work to track down as many as four others who got away.
Police said some stolen handbags were recovered near the mall, but they believe more were taken.
Investigators will use surveillance video to determine how many.
Greg Noble, general manager of The Galleria, released the following statement:
"Our primary concern is always for the safety of our customers and mall employees, and we are thankful no one was injured during this incident which took place before mall hours.
"We are grateful for the immediate response and actions of our security team and the Houston Police Department who quickly apprehended the suspects. We are providing our full cooperation to the local officials as they investigate."