Crime victims are starting to get their recovered items back after being held in an HPD property room for years.
HOUSTON — Two crime victims have finally received their recovered stolen items back after they had been sitting on a Houston Police Department property room shelf for years.
KHOU 11 Investigates first exposed the problem in June. Records revealed how HPD failed to return items to their rightful owners, long after suspects were arrested and their criminal cases were closed.
The items range from digital cameras, bicycles, AirPods, Air Jordan shoes, jewelry and power tools.
“It shouldn’t have to be this hard,” victim Trenton Nzekwesi said.
In June 2023, a thief stole Nzekwesi’s vehicle with two diamond bracelets inside. He tracked his stolen car and called 911 on the way. Suspect Javius Williams was arrested, and the case was later dismissed when he pleaded guilty to another crime in October 2024.
But Nzekwesi said he was bounced from detective to detective and never had any luck recovering his stolen jewelry.
After KHOU 11 Investigates began asking questions, HPD recently released his items.
“I’m one person,” he said. “How many people on the list that have not gotten their items back from Houston PD?”
Myah Williams is another crime victim who had no luck in getting her recovered stolen wedding ring back for more than two years.
“We’ve basically been victimized twice,” Williams previously told KHOU 11 Investigates.
Houston police recently shipped the sentimental ring to authorities near her home in Louisiana, where Williams picked it up.
An HPD spokesperson previously said that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office did not always inform detectives when a case was disposed of, and the two agencies are working on improving communications to expedite the return of recovered stolen property to its rightful owner.
For Nzekwesi, he said the jewelry cost him more than $20,000.
“It took two and a half years for me to get this,” Nzekwesi said. “I’m happy, and it’s bittersweet, because it took you all at the news station to do an investigation. And I probably would have never got this back if it wouldn’t have been for the news station.”
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