HOUSTON – Houston police are searching for a man who they say broke into a woman’s car and stole money from her at a stoplight in southeast Houston.
It happened on Sept. 18, 2021, in the 1800 block of Broadway Street near Galveston Road.
Police said at around 2:15 p.m., the woman had withdrawn money at a bank located in the 1100 block of Southmore Avenue. Meanwhile, a man who wore black clothing inside a white, newer-model Ford Explorer began following her as she approached a stoplight on Broadway Street.
View the video from Houston Police Department here.
When the Ford Explorer pulled up behind her vehicle, video obtained by police caught the robber exiting from the passenger side and approaching the woman’s vehicle. That’s when police said he suddenly punched the woman’s passenger-side window while wearing gloves. The glass apparently shattered as the man grabbed the woman’s purse and ran back to the Ford Explorer, then making a U-Turn to escape.
The woman told police she noticed the same vehicle parked at the bank’s parking lot.
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The suspect is described as 20 years old, measuring 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8, and weighing between 150 to 170 pounds. He fled in a white newer-model Ford Explorer with the license plate NVM-0236.
Police said they decided to release the video after investigators were unable to find the vehicle seen in the video and could not identify any of the suspects.
HPD has provided these safety tips if you’re ever caught in a situation like this:
- Give yourself enough room between your car and the one in front of you so you can easily escape.
- Keep an eye out for any suspicious people at intersections.
- Avoid displaying large amounts of cash and valuables.
- Keep your doors locked.
- If someone is tailgating you, pull into the slow lane and allow them to pass.
- If you believe someone is following you, drive to the nearest police station, fire station or open gas station where there are people that can help you.
Contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly if you have any information related to this investigation. Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any felony suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000. Tipsters must contact Crime Stoppers directly to remain anonymous and to be considered for a cash payment by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.