A US Marine was detained in Texas on Thursday after investigators say he stole hundreds of pieces of jewelry totaling more than $500,000 in two separate heists.
Marcelo Majeed Hernandez, 18, has been identified as a suspect in two heists in Houston: one from David Yurman Jewelry on October 13, 2023, and the other at Helzberg Diamond on April 5, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 4.
During the initial robbery, deputies discovered that a masked suspect punched through the front entrance with a sledgehammer, smashed display cases, and took over 200 pieces of jewelry worth over $380,000.
During the second burglary, more than $170,000 in jewelry was stolen.
The policeman stated that Hernandez had been discovered following a “very thorough investigation.”
Deputies apprehended him on Thursday, less than a week after the last crime.
During his arrest, deputies discovered three firearms, $11,000 in cash, and $500,000 in jewelry, including diamonds, in his Mercedes-Benz GLA, FOX26 Houston said.
Constable Mark Herman informed the station that the car had stolen license plates and was seen on surveillance cameras during the burglaries. Detectives tracked down the vehicle to Hernandez.
According to the constable, the majority of the stolen jewelry has been recovered, and deputies are working to locate the remaining pieces.
Hernandez’s dog tags fell out when investigators arrested him, and he informed authorities he was in the US military, according to Herman of FOX26 Houston.
“Actually, he just recently finished his boot camp in the Marine Corps about a week before one of our cases,” said Constable Mark Herman.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the US Marine Corps (USMC) confirmed that it was aware of the charges against Hernandez and was in contact with local authorities.
Hernandez, a private first-class reserve Marine assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment in Houston, was not in a “drilling status” at the time of the alleged crimes, according to the USMC.
“The Marine Corps does not condone the type of behavior alleged in the incident,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
According to Herman, Hernandez appears to still live with his parents in the Cypress community near where the heists occurred.
Hernandez faces two counts of first-degree criminal theft. According to online records, he is currently in detention and has a bond of $500,000.