A man has been arrested in connection to a series of burglaries at popular restaurants and bars in Houston’s downtown and midtown areas.
Houston police announced the arrest of 45-year-old Reginald Jones. Officers said the serial burglar is a repeat offender and has been arrested 63 times in Texas. Fifty-four of those arrests have been in Harris County alone.
HPD said Jones has been convicted in 37 of those cases, and seven of them were for burglary of a building charges.
The suspect’s earliest arrest was in 1997, according to police.
ARRESTED: Booking photo of Reginald Van Jones, 46, charged with two counts of burglary of a building in recent restaurant/bar thefts at 1201 Caroline St. & 1836 Polk St. in downtown Houston.
The investigations remain ongoing at this time.#HouNews #OneSafeHouston https://t.co/4ExJ3WXZAQ pic.twitter.com/JP1zR2vM5w
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) March 17, 2023
Jones now faces two charges of burglary of a building tied to break-ins at downtown Houston businesses beginning late last year.
Det. Bernard Ng said a series break-ins happened at Reserve 101 on San Jacinto Street, The Rustic on Polk Street, Fabian’s Nightclub on Main Street, and the Habit Bar on Pease Street.
At Reserve 101, the break-ins happened between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. from Dec. 6 through Dec. 31, Ng said. In total, the business reported about $16,400 in losses.
The Rustic reported about $5,300 in losses in a series of burglaries on Dec. 8, Jan. 13, and Jan. 18. The break-ins happened between 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., Ng said.
Thanks to well-lit, high-definition video at The Rustic and Reserve 101, HPD was able to identify Jones as the suspect, according to Ng.
The warrant for Jones’ arrest for the two burglary of a building charges was filed on Jan. 25, and the 45-year-old was arrested on Feb. 8, HPD said.
“He’s very much of a habitual, repeat offender,” NG said.
To prevent break-ins, detectives recommend restaurants and bars install high-definition cameras, better lighting, data storage of at least 30 days, and loud, audible alarms.
HPD also recommended businesses use a constant power source for their alarms and cameras. Ng said recent cases have involved suspects cutting the power, so having a backup is key.
Business owners can visit houstonburglaralarmpermits.org to submit an application for a permit for the City of Houston to regulate their alarm systems.