FORT BEND COUNTY – It was a startling sound that happened around 1 a.m. when neighbors said a teenager was caught on camera going from home to home ringing doorbells in the middle of the night.
KPRC 2 blurred the teen’s face because she is a minor.
“I see her looking around (and) talking with somebody on her phone, and then after three minutes, she left and then a few minutes later I saw her running,” said neighbor Erick Rodriguez.
Neighbors said she was on the phone talking with someone.
“On one of the videos the lady on the phone was saying that it’s a gorgeous house and they have gorgeous cars,” said Rodriguez.
“For anyone to be here at that time, it triggers an alarm that something is not right,” said neighbor Betim Osmani.
They did not open their doors and called 911 right away. Others tried to help, too.
“She said she needed a charger, (and) then she said she needed a ride. We offered to give her an Uber somewhere like, ‘Here, we can’t do that but you can sit here until an Uber comes.’ She didn’t want to do that at all. I didn’t open the door because it could be a criminal situation,” said neighbor Romel Martin.
And that’s exactly what Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan says to be aware of.
“There are individuals who are out there using this as a scam, they go and knock on peoples’ doors claiming they need help just to get access into your home. Do not open the door for anyone at that time of night,” said Fagan.
The teen in the video was later found hiding in a vacant home. She is now in custody for possession of marijuana.
“Even if an individual is hurt or needs medical attention, do not open your doors, not even a crack. Call 911 right away,” Fagan said.