HOUSTON – Package theft is a common crime in Houston, but one homeowner says his home surveillance cameras captured a child stealing packages under the direction of an adult.
UPDATE: Child returns packages, apologizes after man makes her steal them, homeowner says
"I couldn't believe it. It's something I've never seen before," said homeowner Joseph Diaz.
It happened last week in the Southwood subdivision of the 3rd Ward.
Video shows a man walking along the street with a 7- or 8-year-old girl and a much younger boy.
The man is carrying the girl's backpack, and it is about 3 p.m., leading Diaz to believe they were walking home from a nearby elementary school.
You can hear the man's instructions to grab "everything" from the porch -- about five packages, including a large box.
The girl runs across the street to the house and is then seen running back to the man, struggling to carry the load.
"They just came out of school and then you go out and tell your kid to steal for you? That's just the most frustrating, heartbreaking thing any parent, any person can see," Diaz said.
Diaz said he contacted Houston police and also the nearby elementary school, sharing the video in the hope that someone will recognize the children and be able to identify the man in the video.