Houston River Oaks Crime: Police arrest three people for stealing $78,000 Cadillac Escalade from Crimson Luxury Apartments

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Three men have been charged after Houston police witnessed them stealing a luxury SUV from the parking lot of an apartment complex in the River Oaks neighborhood, according to court records.

Marcus Mitchell, 27 years old. Courtney Donaldson, 29 years old. and Nicholas Harper, 34, are charged with theft over $30,000 and engaging in organized criminal activity.

According to the affidavit, the three are “known auto theft suspects” who targeted luxury cars “starting in May 2023 at the Galleria in Houston.”

On February 5, under police surveillance, they departed from the University of Windsor West apartments in Bissonnet, where they followed residents. Police said they circled the parking lot and then left empty-handed.

Their success came at their next destination, Crimson Luxury Apartments in West Creek. The suspects entered the parking lot in one vehicle and stole a $78,000 Cadillac Escalade before exiting in two vehicles, according to the affidavit.

Officers from HPD’s Auto Theft Task Force arrested the trio and found a device that helped them start the SUV, according to the affidavit.

“A search of the defendant’s vehicle revealed equipment used by the locksmith to reprogram the vehicle,” prosecutors said in court during Mitchell’s first appearance.

While violent crime is on the decline in Houston, auto thefts are up 22.5% over the past 12 months, according to ABC13’s Neighborhood Safety Tracker. An average of 368 vehicles are stolen every week.

ABC13 has reported on numerous chop shop bankruptcies since the beginning of the year.

In court records, police list a Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Corvette as vehicles of interest.

Police are encouraging the purchase of off-the-shelf burglar alarms and steering clubs to prevent theft and to equip your vehicle with a tracking device in case theft occurs.

For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook. twitter And Instagram.