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Family on vacation comes home to burglary
Two men are spending the night inside of the Harris County Jail after a wild home burglary. Deputies say they broke into a family's home while they were on vacation. But that's just the beginning of this story.
HOUSTON - Two men are in custody at the Harris County Jail after allegedly breaking into a family's home and living there while the homeowners were away on vacation, deputies said.
The incident occurred Aug. 5 at a residence on Thiess Road near FM 1960 and Aldine Westfield. Homeowners Connie and Joe Cases told FOX 26 their son-in-law drove up to the home and spotted one man, later identified as 43-year-old Jerry Vallade, sitting on the front porch.
Photo of Jerry Vallade sitting on the front porch of the Cases residence. He faces multiple charges including breaking and entering and drug possession.
"He told him he knew us, because he'd seen our name," said Connie Cases. "As he's talking to him, our Jeep comes pulling down the road with the other thief driving it."
Deputies say 40-year-old Dustin Gamblin was the man driving the Jeep. He got out the vehicle and walked to the nearest gas station before officers arrived. Both men were arrested within the hour.
The Cases returned from their trip immediately after getting a call from their son-in-law and discovered the suspects had been staying in their house, helping themselves to food, the shower, clothing, and alcohol.
"They drank all our alcohol, chopped up some brisket, had hot sauce out," Cases said.
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Harris County crime: Squatters found at home of family that was vacationing
The two men are facing several charges in connection with the incident. But that's not the full story.
They say the two men also found all of their old cell phones and began charging them.
"I’m sure they were going to stay longer — Connie just found some boudin in our freezer. I guess they were going to cook it tonight if we didn’t come home," said Joe Case.
Both men face felony charges including drug possession, breaking and entering, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Court documents show Gamblin has a criminal record dating back to 2005. Gamblin faces a $60,000 bond, and Vallade a $35,000 bond.
"At least they didn’t tear the house up," Joe said. "It could’ve been worse."
Shortly before our interview, Connie Cases found a bag of meth inside of the console in her Jeep while driving it to a local car wash. Deputies found the men in possession of the drugs, and another bag was found inside the home.
The Source: FOX 26 spoke with the homeowners and gathered information from the Harris County Sheriff's Office.