TIP LINE SUCCESSES

On February 27, 2018, a tipster sent a message to the Crime Stoppers Mobile App providing information on a student who cut her herself and believed she was in danger of causing additional harm to herself. The tipster identified where the female cut herself and that she is a 9th grader at Deer Park High School. The Crime Stoppers investigator contacted the Assistant Principle and advised a student may be harming herself by cutting and suggested she and the school nurse make contact with the student. The Assistant Principle spoke to the student and verified that she had indeed cut herself on the arms. This occurred due to a break up with her boyfriend. The Assistant Principle reached out to the mother and was able to provide her with some literature and resources for counseling.

The Lam Case – After two days of not being able to reach his parents by phone, Richard Lam drove to their home to check on them and called 911 when no one came to the door. When deputies arrived, they found the doors were all locked, so Richard broke a window to allow them entry. Once inside, they found the home ransacked and Bao and Jenny Lam bound and shot. Investigators were able to piece together the moments leading up to the brutal murders thanks to the neighborhood surveillance cameras. The video showed two unidentified men pull up to the gated subdivision and crawl under the gate. Surveillance video also showed the suspects entering the Lam’s home and the vehicle they were driving: a black Lincoln Navigator. The Lams were ambushed 20 minutes later when they returned home from dinner. Suspects could be seen leaving the home shortly before midnight in the couple’s Porsche only to return repeatedly in the days that followed. On January 16, 2018, a tipster called the tip line and reported the black Navigator on the news was at an apartment complex on Windfern Road in Houston. The tipster also reported that they noticed the suspects removing large items from a silver four door Porsche around 12:00 am. All three suspects were located and arrested based on the detailed information provided by the tipster.

On May 31, 2017, two female suspects walked into Sacks Fifth Avenue and approached the Burberry section pretending to be shoppers. The suspects then selected 22 items and stuffed them into a gray Dillard’s shopping bag and walked out of the store without paying. Loss prevention staff at the store observed the two women on surveillance cameras but was not able to catch up to them before the exited the store and fled the scene in a white car. On September 4, 2017 loss prevention staff noticed the same two women enter the store again and approach a rack of dresses and coats. The two suspects selected 17 items and placed them into a gray Dillard’s shopping bag. On this occasion the loss prevention officer was able to catch up to the suspects and grab the bag of clothes but the women got away. The approximate value of clothing from both dates was placed at $18,997. At the request of the Houston Police Department, Crime Stoppers issued a press release with still images from the store security cameras asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the suspects. In November 2017 Crime Stoppers received an anonymous tip that identified one of the women by an alias. With that information detectives were able to positively identify both suspects as black men named Wesley Daniels Jr and Jermarcus Jerome Singleton. Crime Stoppers was asked by HPD to issue another press release to seek assistance in locating the two men. Crime Stoppers later received another tip that provided the location of the men and they were both arrested without incident. 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

On October 18, 2017, at 10:56 a.m., a call came into the tip line regarding a social media conversation about a student at a local high school had a gun in the waist band of his pants. Crime Stoppers notified the school resource officer of the student that had a weapon the classroom. The resource officer and the assistant principal located student in the classroom and instructed him to exit the class. After searching the student, they found no gun was located. The assistant principal instructed the remaining students to step out of the classroom to complete a thorough search for a weapon. A couple of rows over from where suspect was sitting, another student’s back pack was located that contained a black Glock 17 (9) millimeter automatic weapon. The school resource officer took possession of the weapon and ensured it was secured. As a direct result of the student tipster charges of possession of prohibited weapon in a weapon free zone were filed on the student that actually had the gun.

Human Trafficking of Dallas Teen – The suspect in this case Trevien Thomas or “Triggah”, is charged with five (5) cases, which include, Human Trafficking, Aggravated Kidnapping, Compelling Prostitution, Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and Manufacture/ Delivery of a Controlled Substance. Thomas is also a member of the “Rolling 60’s Crips.” On May 23, 2016, a 14-year-old girl, met Thomas in Dallas and agreed to hang out together. When she got into the car with Thomas, he took her against her will to Houston. Thomas showed the girl a gun and told her if she didn’t do what he said, he would kill her. The victim was held by Thomas until May 28, 2016 where he kept her in three (3) various motels and published an advertisement on “Backpage. com” for sex which included pictures of the victim. The victim reported that she was forced to have sex with several men including Thomas. She was able to escape on TIP LINE SIGNIFICANT CASES 15 May 28, 2016 and called police to report that she taken from the Dallas area and was being forced into prostitution. Investigators were able to serve subpoenas and get information that Thomas placed the ad and found messages where Thomas discussed going to Dallas. As a result, a warrant for Thomas’ arrest was issued. On July 19, 2017, Thomas was featured on Fugitive Friday and KTRK news. A tipster contacted the tip line that identified Thomas from the featured video and provided a location he could be found. In addition to the warrants, he was also in possession of a stolen Glock 27 handgun and what appeared to be Ecstasy and Xanax.

On April 18, 2017, a woman had returned home from shopping at a local store. As she was exiting her vehicle, she was approached by the suspect holding a gun and demanding her property. The woman handed over her cellular phone, wallet, and all the cash she had on her. The suspect then ran to a dark colored Pontiac and fled the location. Her cell phone was recovered the next day. Police discovered the victim’s phone contained undeleted self-recorded videos of the suspect and his accomplice driving the vehicle throughout the day (after robbing the female victim). One of these videos was shown on local news media to generate leads. Crime Stoppers received several tips in regard to the news coverage, but one tip identified the main suspect by name and assisted officers in developing a photo array. Despite being afraid, the female victim positively identified the suspect as the person who robbed her.

On February 2, 2017, a tipster called the Crime Stoppers afterhours center and stated he was observing suspicious activity from his neighbors ’residence. The tipster advised people were in and out of his neighbor’s mobile home throughout the day. On February 6, 2017, the tipster called Crimestoppers and advised that that his neighbor was offering dental work from his mobile home. The tipster stated that he believes that his neighbors not a real dentist, but there is constant flow of people in and out of the residence and believes the people were paying customers (unknowing victims). The tipster stated that the possible suspect leaves this location at approximately 6pm, that there are no signs posted anywhere, and believes that the suspect was practicing dental work without a license. The tipster provided the suspect’s identifying information, vehicle description, and a physical address for the illegal dentistry practice. This information was forwarded HPD Major Offenders Division for follow up. A proactive investigation was conducted during which an undercover officer pretended to be a patron. The suspect had dentistry tools and used them to inspect the mouth of the officer. The suspect then advised he would remove a tooth, gave the price he would charge, and began to prep for the tooth extraction. Officers rushed in and arrested the suspect on March 8, 2017. The suspect was arrested and charged with the Unlawful Practice Dentistry. 

On September 20, 2016, a tipster called the Crime Stoppers tip line to report that Tevin McCray was one of the suspects for multiple robberies in the Houston area. The tipster called back on 11/15/2016 and advised that Tevin was in jail, arrested on unrelated charges. This information was forwarded to HPD’s Robbery Division and following a lengthy investigation, it was discovered that suspect McCray was engaged in an organized crime ring. McCray, along with fourteen (14) additional suspects, conspired to commit Aggravated Robberies using deadly weapons (firearms and/or a hammer) in the Houston area from June 1, 2016, through January 1, 2017. Houston Police informed that the tipster was instrumental in the suspect being indicted on Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity on February 13, 2017, and being held on a $1,000,000 bond.