Deputies arrest entire family after neighbors use app to report suspicious activity

KHOU – by Tiffany Craig 

SPRING, Texas — An entire family was arrested after tips reported through a crime prevention app from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Raymond, Stephanie, Jess and Madison Wood were all charged with drug possession. The parents, Raymond and Stephanie were also charged with possessing an illegal weapon.

It happened Friday morning on Candlepine Drive in Spring.  

Neighbors claim they watched a constant flow of traffic to the house and even watched suspicious activity in the wee hours of the morning.

“There would be a skateboarder that would come down our street,” said neighbor Carlie Padgett. “He had a bag in his hand and he would throw it in their yard and pick up a bag and skateboard back out.”

At least two of the neighbors picked up their smart phones and used the app called iWatchHarrisCounty app and reported the activity.

The officer behind the app is Sergeant Larry Franks.

“It was a narcotics tip,” recalled Sgt. Franks. “The narcotics unit went out there. They did an excellent job developing probable cause. We got a search warrant went inside the house.”

Sgt Franks said officers found plenty at the home.

“They took out a quantity of marijuana, cocaine, morphine and Xanax along with several firearms,” he said. “One was a sawed off shotgun and one to be an SKS-762 caliber assault rifle.”

The family is all out on bond but didn’t want to talk on camera about the case.

Their lawyer, Sam Adamo said law enforcement didn’t have a warrant when they initially showed up at the Wood’s house.

“It’s a home invasion by police,” said Adamo.

He says the illegal weapon actually belonged to a Marine son who died. As for the traffic, Adamo told us Stephanie Wood has Leukemia and runs a business out of her home.

“Mrs. Wood because of her condition works out of the home, works on the internet procures and sells these e-cigarettes,” he said.

Neighbors point to the evidence pulled from the house as their proof and many stood watching as the entire family was arrested.

“A lot of cop cars,” recalled Padgett. “The doors were all open on their cars. You could tell they had been searched heavily and I was loving it.”

The iWatchHarrisCounty app is free and available on all platforms.

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