Police: Man Uses Kelly Clarkson's Name To Steal Truck
By Elizabeth Scarborough
Slideshow: News Around Houston April 28 - May 2
"He had made his appointment and kept it," said Officer Jim Woods with the Houston Police Department's Auto Theft Unit. "He said he was an associate of Kelly Clarkson."That's right -- Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of "American Idol." She is originally from Burleson, Texas, near Fort Worth."He said she was in town looking to buy her sister a brand new Ford F-150," said Woods. "They showed it to him and he said that was exactly what she was looking for."Police said the man convinced the sales manager to drive the truck to the Westin Galleria hotel, so he could show the pop star her potential purchase in person.The man and the sales manager valet-parked the truck and went inside, detectives said."They sat there a few minutes, talked about the truck, then he got up and said he would go get Clarkson to have her take a look," said Woods.But he never came back. Police said the man took off with the truck, worth about $50,000."The guy was very smooth," said Woods.Smooth enough to also fool a woman who was staying in the Westin."He actually told her his name was Justin Gambino and that he was from New York," said Woods.She took this photo on her phone while they were spending some time together."When she got back to New York, she realized her credit card was missing. She immediately called it in as stolen and noticed there were several purchases made in Houston," said Woods.She said she hopes the photo will help get him caught before he finds his next victim.Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Copyright 2008 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.






A body is found in a wooded area near a busy freeway interchange, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A man is wanted after he kicked a front door off its hinges and shot a woman, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A 19-year-old is accused of using a stolen gun to shoot a Houston police officer who was trying to stop a burglary, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A man dies nearly two weeks after a masked gunman shot him in the head, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A driver admits to drinking and taking drugs before getting behind the wheel and crashing, police tell KPRC Local 2.
Feb. 9, 2010: A 19-year-old is accused of using a stolen gun to shoot a Houston police officer who was trying to stop a burglary. Lisa Baldwin reports.
Feb. 8, 2010: A METRO bus hits a light-rail train in downtown Houston, injuring nine people and knocking the train off the tracks, KPRC Local 2 reports.
Feb. 9 2010: Three men pose as police officers to get a businessman into the car to rob him, police say. Phil Archer reports.
Anthony Yanez
A police officer is shot in northwest Houston, KPRC Local 2 reports.
A METRO bus and a light-rail train collide in downtown Houston.
Check out our slideshow forecast to find out how long the chilly temperatures will stick around.



















