HOUSTON – A Houston woman was only feet away from her vehicle when someone shattered the passenger window and escaped with nearly $2,000 worth of her personal belongings, including her Coach purse.
"I was shocked. I was like, 'Wow!' This happened in seconds," Rachel Nelson said.
What shocked Nelson even more was the place where some of her stolen property ended up. Nelson's sister sent her a text message a few days after she reported the crime. Her sister sent a screen shot of a Coach purse and matching wallet advertised for sale on Facebook for $100.
"Wow! That's exactly my purse," Nelson said.
Police said the ad was posted by 22-year-old Cynthia Campos.
The Facebook page is called "I-10 East, Buy, Sell and Trade." It's restricted to members only. However, Nelson's sister is part of the group and she was able to see the ad. The serial numbers on the purse for sale matched the ones on the purse.
"I'm very cautious of serial numbers on anything valuable I have," Nelson said.
So after talking to police, Nelson's sister contacted Campos to say she wanted to make a deal.
The meeting between Rachel's sister and the seller was set to take place in a strip center at I-10 East and Federal. Nelson watched from across the street as police set up a sting and arrested Campos, charging her with theft.
Miguel Mont DeOca, 22, was also taken into custody and charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon.
Police said the practice of using social media to sell stolen property is becoming more main stream and thieves are using it to their advantage. Nelson got the Coach purse and wallet back, along with her peace of mind.
"Hopefully it won't happen again," Nelson said.
If something like this ever happens to you, police recommend that you notify them and let them act as the mediator to make the meeting arrangements.