Harvey Refugees Rip Off Church That Helped Them: Police

MONTGOMERY, TX — A couple displaced by Hurricane Harvey, and given food, refuge and odd jobs at a nearby church, paid it forward by stealing from the church that helped them and running away in the pickup given to them out of kindness.

In the aftermath of Harvey, Blake Mayon and Naomi Johnston were living at the Dacus Baptist Church in Montgomery, and were even given the keys to come and go as they pleased.

During their stay, the church gave Mayon odd jobs and paid him for his work, and eventually gave him a pickup to help him find a job.

In the weeks and months that followed, church members began to notice that items, such as tools, a sound system and televisions were missing from the church.

Shortly after the church began to take notice of the missing items, Mayon and Johnston disappeared, KTRK reported.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated and learned that Mayon had pawned the stolen items at a nearby pawn shop.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office charged the couple with felony theft, and issued an alert for the couple along with a description of the white Dodge pickup the church had given them.

At about 7 a.m. on Friday, Montgomery County deputies spotted Mayon leaving the Walmart store at FM 105 and Walden Road in his white Dodge pickup and initiated a traffic stop.

During their investigation, deputies discovered several items stolen from the church inside the pickup that tied Mayon to the thefts.

Several hours later, deputies arrested Johnston.

Both are in the Montgomery County Jail, charged with felony theft.

Their bond has been set at $25,000 each.

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