Thief breaks into car twice, steals clicker and rummages through home’s garage in Rice Military area

HOUSTON – Homeowners near Houston’s Rice Military neighborhood had to change their garage code after a burglar made off with their clicker. Although the man didn’t get away with anything else, they said they have an idea of why he was there.

It was a crime of opportunity.

The thief, while wearing a backpack, struck at 4 a.m. Surveillance cameras outside the Eustance family’s home on Hamman Street in the Woodcrest subdivision captured the man on three occasions. The first time, the suspect was spotted throwing a rock at the back passenger window of a car in the driveway before running away.

“He came back about four minutes later and climbed in the window that he broke and was searching around and I figured out that he grabbed the garage door clicker and took off," Roger Eustance said.

The Surveillance camera caught the man’s face during the third attempt.

“He went into the garage for two minutes and then left. I don’t think he grabbed anything. At least it didn’t look like he was carrying anything,” Eustance said.

Eustance said he normally keeps his daughter’s bike in the garage but it was at the repair shop.

“So by luck, he wasn’t able to get his hands on that but I know that was the target,” he said. “The police lead us to that conclusion.”

Houston police are also investigating a similar theft that took place several blocks away around the same time.

During that incident, the thief stole the garage remote from a car, used it to open the garage and make off with a bike and tools, officials said.

Eustance said the broken window will be replaced this week. One lesson he’s freely sharing with others is to keep your garage remotes out of sight.