By César G. Rodriguez
Laredo Morning Times
LAREDO, Texas — A man who stole a woman’s vehicle after swiping her car keys from a Webb County Jail waiting room was arrested Tuesday, Laredo police said.
Hector Lopez, 23, was arrested and charged with theft at about 11 a.m.
He remained at the Webb County Jail as of Wednesday evening.
A woman reported to police July 7 that she had left her Samsung Galaxy S4 and her keys to her 2005 Hyundai Accent on top of a soda vending machine in the waiting area while she was in a visiting room with a county jail inmate.
Her belongings were gone when she returned and her vehicle was missing from the parking lot.
Police obtained video surveillance from the jail, which allegedly showed a man taking the woman’s belongings.
Court records alleged a man “can be seen climbing a chair and taking the belongings.”
The man, later identified as Lopez, was later seen in the 600 block of San Bernardo Avenue.
Police alleged Lopez was wearing the same clothing as the one shown in the video.
Officers said they could not interview Lopez “because he was under the influence of an unknown substance,” court records show.
Brenda R. Medina-Moreno, Webb County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, said there are signs posted at the facility with items not allowed when visiting an inmate.
“We’re not responsible for belongings that are not secured,” Medina-Moreno said.