2 linked to Nederland tailgate theft; stolen property valued at more than $8K
Published 12:18 am Saturday, July 22, 2023
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Two men who reportedly stole a tailgate from a Nederland business then stashed it at a relative’s house were indicted this week by a Jefferson County grand jury.
The men were identified by video, authorities said, which allegedly showed them and the vehicle they used in the crime.
Police were called Feb. 2 to Texas Off Road and Tint, 203 S. U.S. 69 in Nederland for the theft of a tailgate.
The value of the tailgate was originally thought to be $3,500, but it was later found to be closer to $8,100, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Video reportedly showed a black Toyota 4-Runner back up to a Ford F-250 truck and two men get out and remove the tailgate.
Police went to the home of the person with the 4-Runner and reportedly saw two young men who resembled the ones in the vehicle. One of the men told police he wasn’t involved in the theft but knew where the tailgate was located, the document read.
The men were given the phone number of a police officer, who then gave an address for the tailgate. Police later located the stolen tailgate at the address given to them and it was given back to the owner. The owner still wanted to press charges.
On May 4 police arrested Tyran Henderson, 20, and Jakobe Murphy, 21, on a charge of state jail felony theft with bond set at $15,000 for each man. They both bonded out the same day, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is not a final conviction of guilt; it is only a ruling by the grand jury that allows the district attorney’s office to proceed with a criminal case.