A man and a woman are accused of using fraudulent information to rent space at an Atascocita storage facility, then using that access to break into a neighboring unit and steal more than $10,000 worth of property, according to investigators. The burglary was reported on June 27 in the 6500 block of Atascocita Road, and surveillance video reportedly captured the pair removing items from the unit before disappearing.
Harris County Constable Precinct 4, led by Constable Mark Herman, is investigating the case and has released surveillance photos of the two suspects in hopes that someone in the community can identify them. According to Click2Houston, investigators believe the suspects used fraudulent information to rent units at the facility, a tactic that would have given them a legitimate keypad code and gate access without immediately raising alarms. Herman's office has asked anyone with information to call (281) 376-3472 and reference case number 2606-03706.
How Fake Rental Info Opens the Gate
The alleged use of a fraudulent rental agreement to gain facility access isn't an isolated tactic in the Houston area. Local law enforcement has previously warned that identity thieves can pass background checks and rent residential or commercial space, including storage units, using stolen personal information, according to a report from Click2Houston covering a similar case in 2024. Once inside, someone with a valid gate code and gate access can move around a facility largely unnoticed, making it easier to target a neighboring unit without tripping typical security measures.
The pattern isn't unique to Atascocita, either. In San Angelo, police recently recovered stolen property connected to multiple self-storage break-ins reported between May and July, according to KIDY-TV, illustrating how facility burglaries involving falsified access have become a recurring problem across Texas communities. In many of those cases, investigators lean on victims' lease documentation and item serial numbers to match recovered goods to their owners.
Why a Constable's Office, Not City Police, Is Leading the Case
Atascocita is an unincorporated community along Lake Houston in northeastern Harris County, roughly 18 miles from downtown Houston, with an estimated 2026 population above 100,000 people, per World Population Review. Because the area was de-annexed by the City of Houston decades ago and has never incorporated, day-to-day law enforcement falls to county agencies rather than a municipal police department, according to the Texas State Historical Association. That leaves Constable Precinct 4 and the Harris County Sheriff's Office responsible for patrols and investigations across the fast-growing suburb.
Precinct 4 is not a small operation. It is the largest constable's office in the United States, running on an annual budget of roughly $103 million with more than 670 sworn deputies covering 520 square miles of countywide territory, Hoodline has previously reported. The office regularly uses its C4 NOW mobile app and social media accounts to push surveillance photos and case numbers directly to residents, a strategy aimed at generating tips before any arrests are made. Consistent with that protocol, Precinct 4 has not released the suspects' names, since the office typically withholds identities until individuals are booked into the Harris County Jail.
What Suspects Could Face Under Texas Law
If identified and charged, the suspects would face serious exposure under Texas law. Entering a non-habitation building such as a storage unit without consent to commit theft qualifies as burglary of a building under Texas Penal Code § 30.02, a state jail felony punishable by 180 days to two years in state jail and fines up to $10,000, according to FindLaw. Separately, Texas Penal Code § 31.03 classifies theft of property valued between $2,500 and $29,999 as its own state jail felony, a threshold the reported $10,000 loss in Atascocita would clear, per guidance from McCarty-Larson PLLC.
For residents storing valuables off-site, the case is also a reminder that standard homeowners or renters insurance often limits how much it will pay out for belongings kept outside the home. The Texas Department of Insurance recommends dedicated self-storage coverage, noting that off-premises personal property limits under standard policies frequently fall short of full replacement value unless a specific endorsement is added.
The Atascocita break-in adds to a busy recent stretch for Precinct 4 investigators. The office is also working a North Freeway hit-and-run case in which a suspect was allegedly caught changing a tire near the scene, and it recently assisted in the arrest of a Spring man on a child sex abuse warrant near Frassati Catholic High School. Anyone with information on the storage facility burglary is asked to call Constable Mark Herman's office at (281) 376-3472 and reference case number 2606-03706.
