Alleged burglar found passed out drunk at scene of crime, police say

HOUSTON -- Police arrested a suspected burglar who they say passed out drunk in a southwest Houston home. Jesus Cruz, 22, has been charged with burglarizing not one, but two homes on Gulfton Drive.

Only Eyewitness News was there as officers arrested Cruz, emptying his pockets of watches, jewelry, and change they say he tried to steal from the homeowner. Police say the woman who lived there arrived home to find Cruz asleep in a recliner in her living room.

"He might have been out on an all-night binge, [drinking] alcohol, decides to break into the house at night time and he got tired," said Lieutenant JC Wood with the Houston Police Department.

But it was what Cruz was wearing on his feet that linked him to another burglary on the same street.

"The fact that he's wearing my husband's shoes lets us know that that's the guy!" Marcia Callegari-Bates said.

Callegari-Bates lives in the house across the street with her husband, Cedric, and their two children, ages two and six. Friday, police say Cruz stole a pair of Air Jordans from the Bates' house. The couple says computers, jewelry, about $1,000 in cash, plus several pairs of expensive tennis shoes, were taken from the home. Callegari-Bates says she got home when Cruz was still inside.

"I felt that something was off but I wasn't quite sure what," she said.

Callegari-Bates said she tried kicking open the front door and the burglar slammed it shut, then took off.

"They stole things, yes, that was hurtful, but they also went through my kids' drawers, took out every single drawer, turned over, ransacked, clothes were everywhere," she said.

Investigators say it appears Cruz worked alone but he admitted to being part of a local gang called SPPL.

"SPPL gang is a Hispanic gang. They're known in this area. They have been feuding with other gangs," said Lt. Wood.

Police are investigating whether or not Cruz is linked to more burglaries in the area, which investigators said have picked up in the last month.

Cruz is currently charged with two counts of burglary. He was taken to the hospital to be treated for a cut on his arm, then will be transported to jail.