HOUSTON – A business owner in north Harris County hopes surveillance video and images will lead Harris County Sheriff's to finding the thief who took off with over $1,000 worth of merchandise.
In the video, a man can be seen walking into LMC Marine Center, at the 14900 block of North Freeway, on Wednesday.
He walks around the store for a while before grabbing three Yeti coolers and running to a car.
"Seemed to be a customer walking around and asked an individual for a brochure," said Dennis Collins, sales manager at the dealership, which specializes in selling boats and other marine equipment.
After distracting an employee, surveillance video recorded the man walking toward the Yeti display and taking off with the coolers.
There have been several cases of Yeti thefts in the Houston area. The products, which maintain temperatures for an extended period of time, are popular. Their price has also made them prime targets for thieves.
"They are about $350 a bag, so they're not cheap. So, I guess they sell them out there on the black market and get what they can get," Collins said.
Collins said there have been other thefts at the dealership in the past, primarily boats.
KPRC2 spoke to nearby business owners along the block who spoke of similar incidents occurring in the past. Still, according to Collins, the Yeti theft was a first for him.
"Definitely an education. First time we've had that happen. We've had other major things happen in the past, but it's the first time for this particular thing," he said.