A Houston family-owned boot store has been the victim of a brazen theft spree by the same man for years, with the owners claiming they've lost hundreds of dollars to the thief.
For the Soto family, who own Yordi's Boots on East Little York in north Houston, it's not just about the monetary loss but also the principle. Ellie Soto, the store owner's daughter, recounted two incidents where she faced off with the suspect - a man who allegedly repeatedly stole from her family's store.
The first incident occurred when Soto, 24, fought with the thief in the parking lot after he snatched a pair of boots. The altercation was caught on camera, and it appears to be the second time that year the same man had stolen from their store. Despite filing a report with the Houston Police Department, no arrest was made.
In recent weeks, the Sotos have reported two more incidents where the thief targeted their family's store. Videos captured the suspect running into the store, grabbing boots, and leaving in December, and another confrontation at the front door on January 16, where Soto managed to stop him from stealing several pairs of boots.
The family is now desperate for an arrest, with locks installed on doors and matching boot sets no longer displayed in a bid to deter the thief. HPD has confirmed it's investigating the incidents and urging anyone with information to come forward.
"It's not just about the boots; it's the principle," Soto said, visibly shaken by her encounters with the suspect. "The way we're being targeted and thought of as easy prey... I want to show them that we are not."
For the Soto family, who own Yordi's Boots on East Little York in north Houston, it's not just about the monetary loss but also the principle. Ellie Soto, the store owner's daughter, recounted two incidents where she faced off with the suspect - a man who allegedly repeatedly stole from her family's store.
The first incident occurred when Soto, 24, fought with the thief in the parking lot after he snatched a pair of boots. The altercation was caught on camera, and it appears to be the second time that year the same man had stolen from their store. Despite filing a report with the Houston Police Department, no arrest was made.
In recent weeks, the Sotos have reported two more incidents where the thief targeted their family's store. Videos captured the suspect running into the store, grabbing boots, and leaving in December, and another confrontation at the front door on January 16, where Soto managed to stop him from stealing several pairs of boots.
The family is now desperate for an arrest, with locks installed on doors and matching boot sets no longer displayed in a bid to deter the thief. HPD has confirmed it's investigating the incidents and urging anyone with information to come forward.
"It's not just about the boots; it's the principle," Soto said, visibly shaken by her encounters with the suspect. "The way we're being targeted and thought of as easy prey... I want to show them that we are not."
he must be thinking yordi's boots is just a free buffet lol. i mean i get it the sotos are shaken up but come on they gotta do better than locks and hiding the good stuff 
maybe the hpd should get some new tricks to catch this guy? this is like something out of an old detective movie 
The Sotos are right to feel disrespected - it's not like they're just some easy target store. Those kids should be able to go shopping without having to worry about getting mugged by a stranger 
. Can't the police just catch this guy already?! Locks on doors aren't gonna stop him from coming in and making off with whatever he wants... some serious action needs to be taken here 
.
this guy is literally a boot thief 
. It's about feeling like you're being targeted and disrespected 
. The Sotos are taking matters into their own hands by installing locks and not displaying matching boot sets anymore 
. I hope HPD is able to catch this guy soon! 
They need to take these small business owners seriously and make them feel safe 
.
i've been going there for years and they always hook me up with the best deals 
i can only imagine how frustrating it must be for elle to deal with this guy over and over again, stealing from her fam's store every year?! that's just crazy 
she's doing what any normal person would do - trying to protect her store and her family's business... i hope the police catch this guy soon and make him pay for all the boots he's been swiping 
their situation is just crazy. like how can one person keep targeting the same store over and over? it's not right. they deserve some justice, ya know? 
HPD needs to step up their game, get that guy off the streets ASAP. i'm not sure what's going on with the reporting process in houston but something is definitely wrong here 
. And now they're taking steps to secure their store, which is understandable. Maybe someone out there has seen this guy around and knows what's going on? It would be great if the HPD could get more info from the community 
.