U.S. Marine gets arrested after allegedly stealing $500,000 worth of jewelry

A U.S. Marine was arrested last week on theft charges. 

The marine, according to Fox News, has been identified as 18-year-old Marcelo Majeed Hernandez.

Hernandez has been accused of having stolen over $500,000 worth of jewelry during two separate burglaries.

He is currently facing two first-degree felony theft charges, and a lot of prison time.

What we know:

According to Harris County Constable Precinct 4, the precinct that has investigated the crimes and that has arrested Hernandez, one of the burglaries took place in October and the the other took place earlier this month.

The October burglary occurred on October 13, 2023, at David Yurman's Jewelry, and the other burglary took place on April 5, 2024, at Helzberg Diamond. The precinct says that Hernandez had just finished military boot camp before allegedly committing this second burglary.

The New York Post reports:

In the first burglary, deputies discovered that a masked suspect had smashed through the front door with a sledgehammer, smashed display cases and stolen over 200 pieces of jewelry valued at over $380,000. During the second burglary, over $170,000 dollars worth of jewelry was stolen.

Surveillance footage shows a man in a ski mask smashing through glass. Hernandez allegedly committed the burglaries at night time when the jewelry stores were closed. Footage also captured the theif's car - a Mercedes-Benz GLA - which appears to be how authorities connected Hernandez to the crimes.

Although Hernandez mostly got away with the first burglary, it took investigators less than a week to connect him to the second burglary.

Arrested and charged

Hernandez was arrested on Thursday.

Fox 26 reports, "When the teenager was arrested, Constable [Mark] Herman said three handguns, $11,000 in cash, and $500,000 worth of jewelry including diamonds and other precious stones were found in his car, a Mercedes-Benz GLA."

"Constable Herman says the car, with stolen license plates, could be seen on surveillance cameras during the heists, but he says determined detectives finally traced the Benz back to Hernandez," the outlet adds.

Hernandez was taken to jail, and he is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. He is facing two counts of first-degree felony theft.

Police are now trying to determine whether or not Hernandez committed any other crimes. Constable Herman thinks that it is likely. He said:

Just the police instinct in our investigators feel this guy is involved in more than just being a serial burglar at night with jewelry stores because some of the evidence we saw when we arrested him indicates he’s probably going to be involved in other crimes.