HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A northwest Harris County business owner says he was surprised to learn thousands of his smoke detectors were linked to an out-of-state crime ring.

Court records police seized more than 4,900 smoke detectors and almost 5,800 electric breakers from Reyes Electrical Supplies, or RES, on Hollister near FM 1960 on Sept. 16.

Investigators have linked the items to a Florida-based retail theft ring.

Court records show seven men have been charged for their involvement in a $79,000 smoke detector heist from multiple Florida Home Depot stores from December 2024 to August 2025.

Agents with Florida's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement say they witnessed some of the shoplifting with their own eyes in July and August.

"We didn't have any reason to believe that me

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