Beto O'Rourke supporter teams up with Houston homeowner to confront sign thieves in a creative way



>>See facts you need to know about this candidate. The Houston house was used "to send a message," the homeowner explains.

>>See facts you need to know about this candidate. The Houston house was used "to send a message," the homeowner explains. Photo: Courtesy Photo: Courtesy Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Beto O'Rourke supporter teams up with Houston homeowner to confront sign thieves in a creative way 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

A Houston homeowner who caught people stealing "Beto for Senate" signs from his front yard woke up Friday morning to what he calls, "a pleasant surprise." His two adjoining properties were covered in black-and-white signage supporting U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke, who's running against incumbent Ted Cruz.

The local man, who prefers to remain anonymous, Thursday told local stations he'd caught two sign thieves yanking the Beto posters from the front of his corner lot house in Glendower Court, a neighborhood between River Oaks and Montrose.

"A local artist saw the newscast that (aired) and he was pretty angry," he explained. "He said, 'I want to demonstrate,' and I said sure."

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So the resident, who also owns the house next door, allowed the Beto supporter to plaster the black-and-white signs all over the front gates of his homes Thursday night. While he knew about the plan in advance, he said he was shocked at how many signs they were able to install. "It took me two weeks to even get my first sign," he laughed.

The issue is more than a political one for him, the local resident said, it also comes down to a matter of respect: "I don't care who you vote for, that's not cool. I don't care whether its a Cruz sign or a Beto sign. It's my property."

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The first sign was stolen by a man walking his dog, a Ring surveillance video showed. Since it happened on his property, he said, he reported it to the Harris County Precinct One Constable's Office. The resident adds that he doesn't want to press charges, but that he does want that man to "have a serious talking to."

In another recording, a blonde woman in a pink cardigan stops in front the property and yanks another sign off the lot, tosses it into her white Audi and drives away.

The homeowner said he was surprised that a "middle-aged woman" would behave that way and wondered how her children might react.

"I want to give that pink lady in the white SUV a message: Realistically, do you want your kids to see you taking home a political sign? I hope her kids or grandkids ask her, 'Hey mom, where'd you get this sign?'"

With less than two months before the race, tensions between both camps' supporters are running high.