6 Undocumented Immigrants Burglarized 70 Homes, Police Said

SUGAR LAND, TX — Investigators in Fort Bend County arrested six men who'd taken part in at least 70 home burglaries in Fort Bend and Brazoria County since mid-2018, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls said.

The six men arrested include: Marvin Manuel Menjivar-Mejia, 32; Denis Ariel Hernandez-Cruz, 28; Marlon Rivera-Hernandez, 41; Selvin Rivera-Hernandez, 33; Elvin Ayala Lopez, 19; and Yoandris Miro, 25.

Nehls said all the men had entered the U.S. illegally from Honduras and Mexico, and are being held in the Fort Bend County Jail with a detainer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The diligent efforts of these detectives and their ability to coordinate the activities within this department and with the officers of the other agencies is commendable and should stand as an example for all in the law enforcement profession," Nehls said in a statement.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office launched its investigation in January after receiving numerous burglary reports occurring in Indian, Asian, and Middle Eastern communities in unincorporated areas of the county.

Nehls said in nearly every burglary, the thieves stole high-end jewelry and money, using the same method to get into the homes.

Investigators coordinated with the Houston Police Department, Sugar Land Police Department, and Pearland Police Department who also identified multiple burglary cases with similar characteristics in their jurisdictions.

Police identified the six suspects during their investigation. On July 2, an investigators staked out a neighborhood and arrested the suspects as they were breaking into a home, Nehls said.

Nehls said that the majority of the burglary suspects had been deported previously and came back into the country illegally to commit crimes.

"It is just astounding that all six suspects have not let deportation stop them from coming back into this country illegally time and time again and unashamedly commit crime after crime...," Nehls said.

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