HOUSTON – Three men accused of stealing commercial generators and then reselling them on Facebook Marketplace have been arrested and charged, according to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
The three suspects, identified as Edwin Yovany Erazo, 37; and Francisco Nabarette Sandres, 26, both of Colony Ridge, and Victor Manuel Alvarenga, 23, of Houston, were charged with theft following their arrest on Wednesday in the Tarkington area.
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All three are believed to be illegal immigrants to the United States, deputies said.
According to Capt. David Meyers, a spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Erazo, who is originally from Honduras, was previously deported from the U.S. by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Meyers said they do not know if Sandres and Alvarenga have been previously deported.
During their arrest, deputies said Erazo was driving a Ford pickup truck that was pulling a rented U-Haul trailer carrying another generator that was reported as stolen. This one was from a cellphone tower in Love County, Oklahoma.
The investigation started after the sheriff’s office received a call for assistance on Sept. 6 from the Katy Police Department, Meyers said.
Katy PD investigators had connected the sale of the generator to Liberty County, according to deputies. The generators presumably were purchased by a middleman in Tarkington, who authorities have not identified, and then resold again to unwitting buyers.
When investigators went to the Tarkington man’s home on CR 2234, they reportedly were given consent to search the property. During that search, they allegedly found numerous other generators and items on the property, including two other Generac generators and two other Kohler generators that were confirmed as stolen.
The investigation could lead to the discovery of more stolen generators, according to Meyers.
The three suspects were being held in the Liberty County Jail. Their bonds have not been set at this time.
Katy PD detectives also have filed arrest warrants for the three suspects for the original theft in their jurisdiction. Other charges are pending.
Anyone with information about this case, including those who believe they may have been a victim, is asked to call the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office at 936-336-4500 and ask that your call be transferred to the CID Division.