The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Three In Construction Site Theft

PORTER, TX -- On June 8, 2026, at approximately 4:34 a.m., MCSO Dispatch received a call from an alarm company monitoring a construction site located at 21385 FM 1314. The caller reported observing a U-Haul box truck entering the property and suspected the occupants were stealing materials.

Patrol deputies quickly located the vehicle after it left the site and conducted a traffic stop. The three occupants, who matched descriptions provided by the alarm company, were detained and later arrested.

Detectives responded to assist with the investigation and obtained additional video evidence showing the U-Haul near a conex box that had been forcibly entered. A search warrant was secured for the vehicle, and upon execution, deputies recovered numerous stolen items, including approximately 60 windows, air conditioning compressors, contractor tables, generators, power tools, and other construction equipment.

The estimated value of the recovered property is approximately $30,000. All items were returned to the victim company’s project manager.

The suspects have been identified as 46-year-old George Harold Smith, 36-year-old Jesus Esteban Hernandez, and a 16-year-old juvenile. All three have been charged with Theft and Criminal Trespass.

Construction site theft has been an ongoing challenge across our county, and this arrest, made possible through the diligence of our investigators, marks a meaningful step toward deterring these crimes and protecting our community’s resources.