HOUSTON – Two people were in custody Wednesday after police said they were caught trying to steal high-priced sneakers from a north Houston store by cutting a hole in a mall roof.
Police said three suspects broke into the Foot Action USA at Greenspoint Mall through a hole they dug in the roof at 5 a.m.
Investigators said they were after brand new Nike LeBron James shoes, which retail for $375 each. Officials said they found 18 stacks of boxes on the roof.
A security guard spotted the thieves and alerted police to the break-in. The Houston Police Department has a storefront on the other side of the mall so officers were on the scene within minutes.
"It appears they may have been casing the place," Sgt. Arthur Murray Semein said. "They may have been up there before to have a point of reference to know exactly that particular spot was where the storage room was located."
Two of the three suspects were chased and apprehended a short time later. Police said one of them is a juvenile. Their names were not released.
"It's very difficult what they did," Semien said. "We didn't find the equipment that they used."
Police said the theft may have been an inside job since the shoes don't go on sale until Saturday, so they are questioning employees.