SPRING, Texas – Three people suspected of stealing lawn equipment have been arrested.
Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables said the suspects face charges of organized crime. Investigators said the trio stole at least four leaf and lawn blowers off two landscaping trucks in Spring.
One of the incidents happened in the 2700 block of Alderleaf, in front of Shelly Tittsworth's house.
"One of the lawn care guys came up and knocked on the door and asked if they could use the phone. They said one of their blowers got stolen," Tittsworth said.
Three men ranging in age from 19 to 23 were arrested. They were identified as Jeffrey Jackson, Ronald Carper and Eric Bailey.
Investigators said it was a crime of opportunity. The group targeted landscaping trucks that were left unattended. The workers were usually busy and not paying attention when the crime occurred.
In this particular incident, a neighbor saw what was going on and wrote down their license plate number. She called the constable's office and deputies pulled the suspect vehicle over a short time later.
"They didn't have anything to say about it," said Sgt. George Beck. "They were surprised that we caught them."
According to the landscaping company, the blowers are worth about $400 to $600 a piece. This was the fifth one they had stolen this year.
Deputies said they don't know if these suspects are connected to those other crimes, but they said they may be linked to some home break-ins in the Spring area as well. The case is still under investigation.