The robbery took less than 5 minutes, but when it was over the thieves stole nearly $40,000 in jewelry from the elderly couple in northwest Harris County, according to the couple.
The crime happened Saturday afternoon in the 12000 block of Flamingo Lakes Court.
The couple said the crime was carried out while they were deliberately distracted following a knock at the door. The couple didn’t want to share their identity for safety concerns.
“I went to the door. The guy wasn’t standing right at the door, he is we are probably 10 feet out,” said the 74-year-old victim.
The man at the door claimed he was repairing the sprinkler system for the next door neighbor and needed to access their backyard.
As the husband led the man to the back, his wife went inside leaving the front door unlocked for her husband to return through.
“I went out the back door because they were out there for what I considered was a long time,” said the wife.
After she returned inside the home, the wife said found three other men inside who quickly rushed out.
"I screamed, ‘What are you doing in my house?’ And they shot out of here at like a bullet,” she said.
In all, three rings were stolen along with nearly $1,000.
The victims said one of their neighbors managed to snap a picture of the suspect’s getaway car and driver as they sped off.
The group of thieves is still on the run.
“It gets to you that somebody, some sleazeball like that would get to you, get in your house and steal your stuff,” said the victim.
The couple has filed a report with Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.