Suspects connected to 21 crimes only get 7 months!

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By Shannon Daughtry
The Baytown Sun Published April 23, 2010 Two Houston men arrested last week in Baytown were found to have much more than one crime under their belt.

The Baytown Police Department estimates that number a little closer to 21.

Police arrested 25-year-old Michael Ruiz and 34-year-old Abraham Segura at approximately 7:30 p.m. April 14 after a witness reported seeing two men breaking into a vehicle and then leaving the area in a white minivan.

Officers quickly located the vehicle, which was being followed by the witness, and attempted to stop it. The suspects evaded the patrol car, leading the police on a short-lived one-mile pursuit. When the vehicle finally stopped in the 200 block of Williams Street, the two suspects were taken into custody.

While investigating the getaway van, officers noticed items reported stolen in other recent burglaries, leading to a whole new line of questioning for Ruiz and Segura. Those finds connected the two men to a string of 21 other burglaries and two credit card abuse cases committed over the past two weeks.

Detectives interviewed both suspects and obtained confessions regarding three other motor vehicle burglaries they had committed April 14. And though the two only confessed to a few other crimes, Lt. Eric Freed said police were able to clear at least 21 other cases committed by the suspects as well.

“From the information obtained by the crime victims who contacted us regarding the other motor vehicle burglaries, we were able to match the confessed locations, types of cars and items taken from the vehicles to the suspects confessions,” Freed said.

Freed estimated that thousands of dollars in property had been lost in the crime spree.

Ruiz and Segura recently plead guilty in a Harris County courtroom, and both men received seven-month prison sentences.
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In this article by Shannon Daughtry concerning the two thieves who were connected to 21 crimes and received  7 month prison sentences, I couldn't help but think they actually got 7 months amongst their own kind to hone their skills.  I seriously wonder if anyone, including the judge thinks they will come out of jail rehabilitated and contribute anything positive to society. 


I also wonder what effect it would have on them individually if the judge would have ordered one whack from a rattan cane across the back for each crime they were convicted of with a promise to double it if they fell back into their old habits.


Too bad these 2 didn't have 5 pounds marijuana in their van, because they could have been locked away safely for 2 to 20 years with a fine of $10,000 and besides that, they would have been slower and easier to catch.