📰 Inside the Investigation: Discover what 2 Investigates is uncovering and what’s coming next

HOUSTON, Texas – Hey, crime lovers — long time no see! 👀🔍

We’ve been cooking up some changes behind the scenes to make sure we’re bringing you the best of the best when it comes to gripping investigations and crime deep-dives.

Starting now, you can catch our newsletter every Thursday at 11 a.m. — set those alarms or mark your calendars, because you won’t want to miss what we’ve got coming your way.

We’re seriously pumped to show you what we’re working on (and what’s on deck), all with the goal of keeping you in the loop on the stories that matter most to our Houston community.

Let’s get into it! 🕵️‍♀️💥

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🔦 IN THE SPOTLIGHT: What’s Unfolding Today

Get the scoop on the latest investigation shaking up Houston.

• Truancy, chronic absenteeism bills move forward in Texas Legislature
• Chronic absenteeism continues to be a problem at schools in the Houston area. How lawmakers are trying to combat the issue

We’ve talked a lot about truancy and chronic absenteeism, not just this year, but through the years. We’ve broken down what those terms mean, and we’ve explained why it continues to be such a stubborn issue in Texas schools.

Back in February, 2 Investigates reporter Robert Arnold uncovered something pretty surprising: the Houston Independent School District reported zero truancy prevention efforts and zero truancy complaints filed against parents or guardians. Yep, zero! But HISD wasn’t the only one.

When Robert dug into state data from the Texas Education Agency, he found that about 13 to 14% of school districts across Texas reported no prevention efforts over the last four school years. Even more eye-opening? Every year, between 60–64% of districts reported more truancy cases than prevention efforts. That disconnect caught TEA’s attention, so much so that the agency launched its own investigation into the numbers.

Then, our viewers started calling. They told us about areas around Houston where students regularly ditch school. So, Robert hit the streets, literally. See surveillance video near one of those hotspots and catch students fighting, smoking, skipping class, and even carrying illegal firearms.

What’s going on here?

Robert’s full investigation airs tonight at 6 p.m. — don’t miss it.

💥 Throwback Truth: The Investigations That Keep Echoing

2 Investigates’ Mario Diaz has been following Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s legal saga from the jump, and this week brought another twist.

On Monday, George showed up in criminal court with not one, but two attorneys by his side to face charges tied to that bizarre social media hoax linked to his campaign. The hearing was ultimately reset, but the courtroom appearance still turned heads.

If you missed it last week, we were first to break the news that George’s former staffer, Taral Patel, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. Why? For creating fake online accounts, impersonating officials, and posting racist comments about himself and others, all to score sympathy votes during the election.

Now, Patel’s on probation for the next 24 months. Meanwhile, George is still facing separate charges: two counts of money laundering, which are third-degree felonies.

Yep, it’s a lot.

We’re keeping our eyes on this one. Stay tuned — Mario’s not letting it go anytime soon.

🔍 ON THE TRAIL: What We’re Digging Into Next

A sneak peek at the stories we’re chasing — and why you’ll want to stay tuned in.

Lululemon “booster” shoplifting invites crime into communities

Scary shoplifting at popular clothing stores – right in the middle of Houston neighborhoods.

Investigator Amy Davis is looking into Lululemon “booster” thefts. It’s shocking to see people running (or walking) in with bags and running out with thousands of dollars in goods.

How often is this happening? 50 times at three stores in just one six-month period, we looked into it! It’s scary for customers.

Why aren’t employees doing more? Why is this happening so often? Amy’s digging into this safety issue that has some of you concerned and asking us to find answers. (Plus, you’ve got to see some of this video we’ve gathered up.)

We’ll bring this to you next Thursday, May 1, on KPRC 2 News at 6 p.m.

Let us know if you’ve seen this happening by emailing us at aslaydon@kprc.com or adavis@kprc.com.