An observant citizen’s tip led to the arrest of Jose Ortiz, 50, of Needville, TX, and Veronica Canseco, 49, of Richmond, TX, in connection with a series of thefts in Rosenberg on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Ortiz was seen exiting Academy Sports with stolen items hidden in his pants before getting into a vehicle driven by Canseco. The duo then moved to a nearby Kroger. Officers from the Rosenberg Police Department, along with an investigator from the Traffic Unit, quickly arrived on the scene.
As Ortiz got back into the vehicle and tried to leave, law enforcement officers initiated a traffic stop. A search of the vehicle uncovered stolen goods from Academy Sports, Kroger, and Home Depot, totaling over $1,400 in merchandise.
Ortiz, who has more than 20 previous theft convictions, was charged with Theft with Two or More Previous Convictions, a state jail felony, and Unlawful Use of a Criminal Instrument, a second-degree felony, after being found with a tool to remove security tags.
Canseco was charged with Theft under $2,500, a Class A misdemeanor.
The stolen items were recovered and returned to their respective stores. Police are urging residents to report suspicious activities to help maintain public safety.
