Accused serial burglar from Houston caught on video

HOUSTON – New video obtained by KHOU 11 News shows a group of suspected serial burglars at work at the Houston Camera Exchange.

Brett Kennedy is the store's general manager.

“They took so much stuff, but what really shocked us was the amount of work that had to be done to clean it up. There was glass everywhere,” he said.

On Friday, Kennedy released surveillance video showing the moment three men broke into his store in March, using a sledgehammer to smash glass display cases and steal everything they could get their hands on.

“They were pulling trash cans from the back, dumping the trash out and just throwing stuff in the trash cans,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the video reminded him of a burglary film, and more than $150,000 worth of merchandise was stolen from his store that night.

He said he was surprised to learn that his store was among 76 businesses linked in court documents to a four-person gang accused of robbing stores across Houston.

RELATED: Only on KHOU 11: Court records show a ring of serial burglars targeted at least 76 Houston businesses in 7 months

Augustine Uresti and Ricardo Middleton are accused of involvement in organized crime. Torrean Potts and Ronnie O'Bryant are accused of burglary and arson.

“We are ready to bring justice to the community,” said Jacob Salinas, Harris County Assistant District Attorney.

He is the lead prosecutor in this case.

“They let individuals go into the store and take whatever they could while another person kept watch in the car,” Salinas said.

According to Salinas, the gang's crime spree began last October and continued until April, when police used license plate reading cameras and surveillance video from Flock to track down a rental car that had been used in numerous burglaries.

He said that the pursuit of the car resulted in two of the suspects being caught red-handed.

According to Salinas, the case came to light through a search of their phones.

“As most people know, smartphones can track your location,” Salinas said.

He said location data synced over time linked them to many of the break-ins. Police said messages on the phones led to the arrest of two other suspects. He said they also found a bulletproof vest and stolen weapons.

It was a complex investigation that involved multiple task forces and agencies, including the Houston Police Department's Central Crime Suppression Team, HPD North Priority Investigative Unit, Houston Arson Bureau and Webster Police Department.

Salinas said he believes there are more victims and urged anyone who thinks they might be one of them to call HPD.