Harvey victims who stole from church that helped them arrested, deputies say

MONTGOMERY, Texas – A Montgomery County couple accused of stealing from a church that helped them after Hurricane Harvey were arrested Friday, deputies said.

Investigators said Blake Mayon and Naomi Johnston were charged with felony theft after tips from the public helped detectives locate them.

The husband and wife sought shelter at the Dacus Baptist Church in Montgomery after their home was flooded during the historic storm.

Pastor Chris Zeller said Mayon and Johnston were provided keys to the church so that they could come and go as they please. He said the church even gave Mayon a truck and provided him with odd jobs so that he could earn money.

"Toward the end of their stay we started finding stuff missing,” Zeller said. “Tools, televisions, a sound system that we use for our food bank."

The couple then disappeared without notice, deputies said.

In a Facebook post on Friday, deputies said Mayon was arrested as he left a Walmart store on Walden Road. Deputies said stolen property was found in the truck he was driving -- the same truck given to him by the church.

Johnston was arrested a short time later after a disturbance was reported at an apartment complex, deputies said.

This story comes courtesy our sister station in Houston, KPRC.