May 17, 2011 - ***PLEASE NOTE TIME AND LOCATION OF AVAILABILITY***

Investigators in the Houston Police Department's Major Offender's Division are asking for the public's assistance in identifying several suspects wanted in the theft of more than $10,000 in southwest Houston.

The suspects are described only as four Hispanic males.  One of them appeared to be in his late 20s, tall and thin.  He was accompanied by a female, also in her late 20s, wearing a blouse with the number "46" on the front.  They were last seen in a white, late-model Ford Explorer, with a missing front license plate.  Surveillance photos of the wanted female suspect and the vehicle are attached to this news release.

On March 11, a female victim, 77, went shopping at the WalMart at 2727 Dunvale.  When she exited the store, she was not able to locate her vehicle and four unknown male suspects offered to help her.  The suspects convinced the female her car needed major repairs and to give them her keys.  The suspects then pursuaded the victim to accompany them to her bank, where she withdrew $10,000 and gave the suspects $8,000 for the repairs to her car.  The suspects then took the victim, against her will, to the Plazamericas shopping center at Bellaire and the Southwest Freeway (South U. S. Highway 59) and convinced her to charge more than $14,000 of jewelry to her credit card.  The victim was then taken to her car and left behind the PetSmart pet store at Westheimer and Dunvale.

Anyone with information in this case or on the identities of the wanted suspects is urged to contact the HPD Major Offenders Division at 713-308-3100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

At 2 p.m. TODAY (Tuesday, May 17), an investigator in the HPD Major Offender's Division will be available to discuss details in this case in the first floor media briefing room at HPD Headquarters at 1200 Travis. 

VHS/JKS  5-17-11
Inc. #030794811