Mother living in fear after suspect who stole her purse shows up to her home

HOUSTON – A mother is living in fear after she became the target of a robbery. The ordeal, captured on surveillance video, happened while her young daughter was inside the vehicle.

On Thursday afternoon, Tam Carbajal was out running a couple of quick errands when she stopped at the Shamrock gas station in Montrose to fill up. Carbajal says as she was turning away from her car to put back the gas pump, her purse vanished from the passenger’s seat. 

“He just opened the door, hopped in and out,” Carbajal said. 

Inside Carbajal’s purse were her home keys, credit cards and phone. Carbajal immediately notified her husband to change the locks of their home. The thief showed up at Carbajal’s home 30 minutes later but couldn’t get into the home. 

“The suspect showed up with my purse trying to get inside my home with my home key,” Carbajal said. 

Carbajal wasn't home, but her surveillance camera captured the thief giving her purse back to her neighbor with only a few of her belongings. 

“He returned one credit card and my phone charger,” Carbajal said. 

She said the thief told the neighbor to inform her that he would bring back the rest of her stolen items in exchange for beer money.

The thief returned to her home Friday and attempted to get in but wasn’t successful. 

Houston police are now looking for the suspect and the black Camaro the thief was believed to have been in at the time of the robbery. 

Anyone with information should call the Houston Police Department.