Harris County Constable Precinct 4 is asking the public to help identify three people suspected of taking 13 propane cylinders from a storage shed in the 11300 block of Huffmeister Road.
Deputies responded Oct. 24 to a theft report at the shed, according to Click2Houston. Investigators said the suspects allegedly broke in on two separate dates and took cylinders valued at about $850. The office said surveillance video captured them.
Propane-cylinder thefts have prompted public appeals elsewhere in Texas. In February 2015, Round Rock police said a suspect had taken 60 cylinders in four reported break-ins at retailers since Jan. 1; the department later announced an arrest tied to additional thefts. The cases involved outdoor retail storage containers, unlike the Huffmeister Road shed, but both investigations relied on public tips and surveillance-related evidence. Round Rock police’s initial appeal and the later arrest announcement detail that investigation.
At the reported value of about $850, the alleged loss falls within Texas’ Class A misdemeanor theft range if the value is established and the case is charged under the ordinary theft statute. State law also allows amounts from separate incidents to be combined when they are part of one scheme or continuing course of conduct, a provision potentially relevant to allegations involving two dates. The statute does not establish what charges, if any, will be filed in this case. Texas’ theft statute sets out the value ranges and aggregation rule.
Constable Mark Herman’s Office posted the appeal on Facebook today under the heading “Caught on camera: constables seek public's help identifying theft suspects.” The post says all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Precinct 4’s constable office handles patrol, emergency and non-emergency calls, and follow-up criminal investigations in North Harris County. The office says it serves more than 1 million people who live or work in the area, while its constable has jurisdiction across Harris County. That broader remit places the Huffmeister investigation among the office’s local response and investigative work. The office’s description of its service area and duties outlines those responsibilities.
Anyone with information is asked to call the office’s dispatch at (281) 376-3472 and reference case No. 2610-03194, or contact local law enforcement.
