Victim says thieves offer car help

Man uses phone application to get photos of suspects

HOUSTON – A Houston man says three people offering to help him Monday night were setting him up in a trap.

Quinton Bunton said it started as he pulled onto Westheimer from a grocery store. That's when a man in a white 2009 Ford F-150 pickup flagged him down and said his wheel was about to fall off, Bunton said. He said he quickly pulled into a parking lot. 

"He was like, 'I'll help you,'" said Bunton. "Don't worry about anything. We will take care of it. And he grabbed a crow bar out of his truck and they proceeded to fix my tie rod."

Bunton said the man then demanded $300 as payment. Bunton said he refused and a woman with the helper pulled out a crow bar while someone else quietly stole his $500 smart phone and took off. 

Bunton told KPRC Local 2 he believes the helper and his friends broke the car in the first place.

"If something like this happens to you, keep going," said Bunton. "When you feel safe, pull over. Call roadside assistance. Call a police officer if you feel like something might be wrong. But do not trust anyone."

Bunton said he went home and called Houston Police. He also said he used an application to locate his phone nearby. Then he said he started seeing these pictures pop up on his new phone that were sent from the old one. 

"The application called Drop Box had downloaded pictures the suspect had took with my phone. So when I got my new device, the pictures she had took of her family and her friends and herself and the other suspects had come to my phone," said Bunton.

He turned the information over to the police. Officers confirm they are investigating.