CRIME
US Marine Arrested In Connection With Houston Jewelry Heists Worth Over $550,000
Harris County Constable Precinct 4
A U.S. Marine was arrested last week on suspicion of stealing more than $550,000 worth of jewelry across two separate heists in Texas, authorities said Friday.
Marcelo Majeed Hernandez, 18, was arrested on April 11 in connection with an Oct. 13, 2023 heist at David Yurman Jewelry and an April 5 heist at Helzberg Diamond, both in Houston, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 4.
Authorities said that in the first burglary, a masked suspect smashed through the front door at the David Yurman store with a sledgehammer, then smashed the display cases, stealing numerous pieces of jewelry valued at more than $380,000 in total.
On April 5, deputies responded to a burglary at the Helzberg Diamond located at the Houston Premium Outlets. Authorities said more than $170,000 worth of jewelry was stolen in the incident.
Marcelo Majeed Hernandez was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail where he was charged with First Degree Felony Theft, Constable Mark Herman said in a statement.
Deputies recovered the majority of the stolen jewelry and were still working to locate the last few pieces.
Herman told FOX26 Houston that during Hernandez’s arrest, deputies noticed his dog tags, and he told officers he was in the U.S. Marines.
“Actually, he just recently finished his boot camp in the Marine Corps about a week before one of our cases,” Herman said.
Deputies allegedly found three handguns, $11,000 in cash, and most of the stolen jewelry in Hernandez’s car, a a Mercedes-Benz GLA, during his arrest.
TMX contributed to this article.
