HOUSTON – Multiple people have been arrested in connection to the recent spike in vehicle thefts at Houston airport garages this year.
During a news conference Thursday, officers said three people have been arrested.
KPRC 2 pulled court records for two of the suspects -- Joe Angel Aguirre, 23, Marco Castillo, 23 and Yulian Hernandez, 17, -- who are each charged with felony theft – aggregate.
All three suspects are accused of stealing vehicles from the Bush and Hobby Airports from early 2023 through May 2023.
Vehicles mentioned in court documents include three Chevy Camaros, a Chevrolet Silverado, a Cadillac, and two Dodge Rams. The vehicles were stolen from Bush and Hobby Airports. In one instance, a driver parked their vehicle at Bush Intercontinental Airport and it was stolen on April 24.
Hernandez was also charged with theft of a firearm. According to court documents, a gun was recovered after he got into a crash earlier this month and allegedly admitted to stealing vehicles.
During the news conference, Houston police tried reassuring travelers the airport garages are safe.
“We have a relatively low occurrence of auto thefts at Bush Intercontinental Airport compared to other locations in the city,” said commander Mike Faulhaber. “The airport remains a safe place for travelers, employees, and visitors to come to. We encourage everyone, though, to remain vigilant.”
Faulhaber shared that between April 2022 and April 2023, there were approximately 175 auto thefts at airport garages.
Investigators shared ways nervous travelers can add an extra layer of protection.
“That includes buying trackers that you can actually tell where your car is on your phone. It’s upgrading your alarm... and the big thing with updating your alarm is making sure you have your ignition killed switches built into the alarms,” said Sgt. Tracy Hicks with HPD’s Auto Theft Crimes Task Force.
“Honestly, there’s no need to have additional fear and anxiety while you’re traveling from Bush Airport,” Commander Faulhaber said.