Three Arrested, One Sought in Wire Thefts in Acres Homes Area
The lone suspect not in custody is Gilberto Augirre Corona (H/m, DOB: 1-4-82), who also goes by the name of Alberto Garcia. He is charged with felony theft of wire/cable in the 182nd State District Court. A photo of Corona is attached to this news release. The three suspects in custody are Jermaine Fitzgerald Amerson (b/m, DOB: 10-25-81), the leader of the theft ring, and Ray Oscar Lewis (b/m, DOB: 5-19-87) and Ashton Derell Wilson (b/m, DOB: 1-17-87). Amerson and Lewis are charged with felony theft of wire/cable, Amerson in the 177th State District Court and Lewis in the 263rd State District Court. Wilson is charged with felony criminal mischief in the 178th State District Court. The suspects are believed to be responsible for thefts of AT&T telephone wire in the following incidents since December 2007:
A concerned Acres Homes resident reported to police she saw a suspect (Amerson) carrying wire to the backyard of his home and putting it into a fire. The resident also stated that a Hispanic male, believed to be Corona, went by the location the next day to pick up the burned wire. The investigation revealed that suspect Lewis had used a vehicle on five occasions to sell nearly one ton of copper wire to Alstar Recycling and had received about $7,800 for it. Lewis told investigators Amerson paid him $50 each time he sold wire to the business. Wilson and Lewis were arrested last Wednesday (July 2) and Amerson was apprehended last Friday (July 4). Anyone with information on the whereabouts on suspect Gilberto Corona is urged to contact the HPD Burglary and Theft Division Metal Theft Unit at 713-308-0900 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. JFC/VHS
For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200. |
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July 9, 2008 - Investigators in the Houston Police Department’s Metal Theft Unit have arrested three of four suspects wanted for stealing copper wire from various telephone poles in the city’s Acres Homes area.