HOUSTON – Fort Bend County Sheriff Nehls and law enforcement detectives announced the arrest of a group connected with a Honduran burglary ring Monday afternoon.
The Sheriff's Office launched an investigation after reports of a group targeting Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern communities. Officials said the group is tied to more 100 burglaries in the Houston area.
Officials said the suspects would scout apartment complexes, watch and wait until the victims would leave their homes. Officials said the burglaries would happen between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. where the suspects would knock on doors, then pry it with a screwdriver and ransack the home in just minutes. Detectives said the suspects only searched for gold, cash and jewelry.
"We lost everything, we lost everything and they made havoc of our house," said victim Nusrat Retiwala.
"You feel violated, I came home to a place that was completely vandalized every single item of my possession was sifted through thrown on the floor, you feel totally violated," said victim Nashida Subhi.
After the investigation, detectives were able to identify at least six suspects and vehicles connected to the string of burglaries and arrested then on burglary charges or burglary-related charges. Detectives said a majority of the suspects are from Honduras and have been deported several times in the past. Detectives said all six suspects have ICE holds and came back into the country illegally to commit crimes.
Here are the following suspects: Marvin Manuel Menjivar-Mejia, 32; Denis Ariel Hernandez-Cruz, 28; Marlon Rivera-Hernandez, 41; Selvin Rivera-Hernandez, 33; Elvin Ayala Lopez, 19; and Yoandris Miro, 25.
"I can say with certainty going through some of the records of these individuals who committed felonies in the past have been deported and have returned so we have people entering illegally and then committing felonies," said detective Scott Heinemeyer.
Marlon Rivera-Hernandez admitted to trying many times to come back after his last deportation by hiring coyotes to help him get into Mexico from Honduras and then cross the river into the U.S., detectives said. Marlon Rivera-Hernandez committed several other burglaries within a couple of weeks of being back in the U.S., detectives said.
“It is just astounding that all six suspects have not let deportation stop them from coming back into this country illegally time and time again and unashamedly commit crime after crime. Something needs to be done about our border security,” Nehls said.
