WOMAN ARRESTED in Houston After Attempting to SELL STOLEN CAR ON INTERNET
Castro was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and the 208th District Court set her bond at $10,000.
Castro was released on bond on a $10,000 bond. Constable Herman issued a warning to the general public after Castro was booked into the Harris County Jail. He said, “Citizens, please be diligent when conducting transactions that are similar to Castro’s and other similar transactions.”
This stolen automobile was deceitfully disguised as a legitimate vehicle sale, and it wasn’t until a very close inspection of the vehicle that the entire extent of the crimes that had been committed was uncovered.
An arrest was made on August 7, 2024, as a result of an individual’s attempt to sell a stolen automobile online. This arrest was made as part of a joint effort by the Criminal Investigations Division and the Patrol Division of Constable Mark Herman.
An online transaction was brought to the attention of the investigators, which resulted in a speedy progression of the investigation into the fraudulent car report.
A potential purchaser was scheduled to meet with the suspect at a nearby bank situated in the 12400 block of the North Freeway. However, undercover deputies were able to recover the stolen vehicle and take the suspect to jail before the meeting took place.
When a further in-depth investigation discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen to the Baytown Police Department and that Castro owned a counterfeit vehicle title, the suspect, who has been named as Stephanie Castro, was subjected to additional scrutiny.
A vehicle identification number (VIN) swap had been performed on the stolen vehicle to conceal its true identity. The VIN of the stolen vehicle was changed to match the VIN of a vehicle that was legally owned and had a clean title. The elaborate camouflage that the criminal was using was only revealed after the car was subjected to a comprehensive inspection.