Thieves stole two GMC pickup trucks from driveways on the same Katy street within 40 minutes on Aug. 11, and Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable Chad Norvell says his office's auto theft reports have nearly doubled year-over-year.
The first white GMC was taken around 3:10 a.m. from the Grand Lakes area. About 40 minutes later, a white 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 belonging to 17-year-old Fabio David Arboleda disappeared from his family's driveway on Water Edge Lane, according to KPRC 2. Ring camera footage showed the truck vanishing in less than a minute.
Arboleda's family told KPRC the truck was locked, the alarm was set and the key fob was inside the house. The Sierra was also equipped with OnStar and an AirTag.
Arboleda told KPRC 2 he felt violated, saying the thieves came in the middle of the night and took the truck as if it were nothing. The 11th-grader, who participates in the National Honor Society and Naval JROTC and is training to become a pilot, purchased the truck with inheritance money from his grandfather.
Surveillance video from both thefts appears to show the same group of people, though investigators have not officially confirmed a connection.
The first truck was eventually recovered but its security system had been stripped and the vehicle was considered a total loss. Arboleda's Sierra had not been recovered as of Saturday, Aug. 22. A Flock license plate reader detected it in Katy after the theft, but investigators have not located it.
Thefts nearly double in Fort Bend Precinct 1
Norvell said high-end pickup trucks, including GMC models, Ford F-150s and F-250s, are common targets in the area. Thieves can steal them in minutes.
The local surge runs counter to national trends. Vehicle thefts across the U.S. fell 23% in 2025 to 659,880, the lowest level in decades, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Texas still recorded 75,269 thefts that year, second only to California, and the Houston metro area ranked fourth nationally with 23,659 stolen vehicles.
Constable's advice: visible deterrents
Norvell said no single device can guarantee a truck won't be stolen, but visible obstacles slow thieves down and make a vehicle less attractive.
"Even what I do on my own truck, I have an F-250. I know they're commonly stolen, so I use an old-school club on the steering wheel," Norvell told KPRC 2. "It's just a device that is visible, something they can see."
The NICB recommends layered measures: steering wheel locks, audible alarms, kill switches, aftermarket GPS trackers, parking in well-lit areas, closing windows, locking doors and never leaving a running vehicle unattended.
The Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable's Office investigation remains open. Residents with information can contact the constable's office.
