Houston woman arrested after attempting to sell stolen car online

An individual’s attempt to sell a stolen vehicle online led to an arrest on August 7, 2024, as part of a coordinated effort by Constable Mark Herman’s Criminal Investigations Division and Patrol Division. The investigation into the stolen vehicle report unfolded rapidly after investigators were tipped off about an online sale.

A potential buyer was due to meet with the suspect at a local bank located in the 12400 block of the North Freeway, where undercover deputies managed to recover the stolen car and take the suspect into custody. The suspect, identified as Stephanie Castro, faced additional scrutiny when a deeper probe revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen to the Baytown Police Department and that Castro had a counterfeit vehicle title in her possession.

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The stolen vehicle had undergone a vehicle identification number (VIN) swap to mask its true identity, displaying the VIN of a similar but legally owned car with a clean title. The intricate disguise of the crime was only unraveled upon thorough inspection of the vehicle.

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Castro was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and his bond was set at $10,000 by the 208th District Court. Following Castro’s booking into the Harris County Jail, Constable Herman issued a warning to the public: “Citizens please be diligent when conducting similar transactions. This stolen vehicle was cleverly disguised as a legitimate vehicle sale and it was only after a very close inspection of the vehicle that the full scale of the crimes were discovered.”