GRAPEVINE, Texas — Security video obtained by WFAA captures a man police say was involved in a huge cargo burglary ring across North Texas. The video is critical evidence in a major investigation for several police agencies.
"Oh, it's amazing," said Sgt. Oscar Ramirez, "It's amazing to kind of catch them in the act, so to speak.”
Sgt. Oscar Ramirez serves as a supervisor for the Grapevine Police Department. Last May, police say the suspects cut a hole in a warehouse garage door to avoid setting off the alarm. The entire act was caught on camera.
Police say the suspects loaded the stolen items into a box truck which was also reported stolen.
“That launched an investigation for us because approximately half a million in product was gone," Sgt. Ramirez said.
Grapevine Police detectives shared the warehouse theft case with other police departments, including a stolen box truck used during the heist. The feedback from the other agencies led to even more questions and answers in other jurisdictions.
"We got a response back from, cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Coppell," Sgt. Ramirez said.
The shared information proved to be gold for detectives in Plano who had exhausted all avenues.
Officer Jennifer Chapman with the Plano Police Department says their detectives take solving crimes personally because of their relationships with the community and business leaders.
"Our detectives worked hard to obtain information," said Chapman, "They just hit a roadblock.”
That roadblock was knocked down when Grapevine Police used their technology to track the suspects and were waiting for them to strike again. Even though the suspects often used lookouts before striking according to police, this time they had no clue detectives were looking out for them at a local warehouse.
"The main thing was they would hit in the middle of the night at two, three in the morning," Sgt. Ramirez said.
Grapevine police say the case involves a significant theft involving high-value eyewear, with stolen merchandise valued at over $514,000.
The items include 2,223 pairs of Ray-Ban Supernova Wayfarer glasses and 20 pairs of Oculus goggles. The approximate value of the stolen Ray-Bans alone is estimated at $500,000, contributing substantially to the total loss.
The heist highlights the vulnerability of high-demand goods, leaving law enforcement and company officials working diligently to recover the stolen items and address the financial fallout.
“So we had deployed patrol officers, officers with drones, K-9 officers, and kind of we're kind of waiting for them to hopefully hit," Sgt. Ramirez said.
During their last hit, police say their one arrest led them to seven suspects in all. All of them have since bonded out of jail but face felony charges for organized criminal activity and up to life in prison.
Grapevine PD arrested Adrian Ellison, 38; Julius Green, 40; Willie Hill, 38; Eric White, 33; Fayzal Kara, 40; Ronnie Vaden, 33; and Derrick White, 38 based on cellular data that places the men near the burglarized warehouses at the time the crime was committed, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA.
“We may not get you right then and there but it’s coming," Chapman said, "We don't put up with it in Texas, we just don't."