(July 2, 2009)

ALICE--A taskforce has been created in Jim Wells County to deal with a recent rash of burglaries out there. Investigators are getting concerned it will get worse before it gets better.

The burglaries continue in Alice and the surrounding cities in Jim Wells County. Officers hope this law enforcement taskforce will slow down the crimes in the area.

Sheriff investigators discovered d-v-d's and lots of other stolen items inside the home of Cassandra Escobedo. They believe the 18-year-old woman took the stuff from a neighbor's home in the Alice area.

"They had gotten a heads up another neighbor who had witnessed the individual walking back to the house with the property," said Detective Michael Teodecki of the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department. "They put two and two together and called us out and fortunately we were able to make an arrest and recover the stolen property at the same time."

Throughout Jim Wells County, there have been more than 30 burglaries in the last two weeks. Most around Orange Grove and they believe it's one crew doing smash and grab crimes. They're going after digital tv's.

"We're assuming since tv switched to digital," said Lt. Odel Mendoza with the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department. "A lot of people don't have the capability so the new tvs they get has that capability to pass off."

Inside the city limits of Alice, officers have also seen a high number of burglaries. Thirty-four in just the month of june.

"A lot of it has to do with the economy," said Lt. Santiago Soliz of the Alice Police Department. "People are going through hard times. A lot of people have lost their jobs due to the oil field jobs in this area."

Now, both the Alice Police Department and the Jim Wells County Sheriff's Department are combining resources and creating a taskforce to deal with the crimes.

"We're going to get a joint taskforce together and step up patrols in every direction of our city and the county in an attempt to correct this problem," Lt. Soliz said. 

Officers are advising residents to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. If you see anything, call them so they can put a stop to these crimes in Jim Wells County.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com