HOUSTON – A man was arrested Friday in connection with the theft of $30,000 in merchandise from more than a dozen Home Depot stores in the Houston area.
Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said his deputies helped recover some of the items that were stolen from at least 15 stores, including generators, welding equipment, chainsaws and paint sprayers.
Juan Carlos Lopez, 32, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree felony theft.
“We know there was price tag swapping. He would take $30 item price tag on it, paying pennies on the dollar for really high item stuff,” said Deputy Joe Bowden, with Precinct. 1.
Bowden said some of the items were found at Cash America Pawn Shop which is near the intersection of Jensen Drive and Tidwell Road.
Investigators said in a tweet that Lopez has been arrested and charged with theft. They said Lopez confessed to the thefts.
KPRC Channel 2 News asked Lopez if he had anything to say, and his response was, “I don’t want to say anything.”
“The more I look into (the thefts) I’m learning we’re going to have to go back a couple of years. He’s been arrested for it before,” Bowden said. “He has a warrant right now for Harris County Sheriff’s Office for the same thing and now he’s going to have one out of the city as well.”
Bowden didn't say specifically which Home Depot stores were targeted, or the exact timeline, but said they have video evidence.
Authorities said Home Depot reached out to them when they noticed the numbers were not matching up. Some of the items stolen range from $400 to more than $1,000, according to authorities.
At this time, Precinct. 1 believes Lopez acted alone, but the investigation is still ongoing.
The man accused of stealing more than $30k worth of merchandise from about 15 different Home Depot stores says , "He has nothing to say" when asked if he committed the crime. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/917eOARj1v
— Sophia Beausoleil (@KPRC2SophiaB) June 22, 2018