Live Oak police and the Alamo Region SWAT searched a Northeast Side house in the 6900 block of Elmwood Crest near Toepperwein Road and arrested five people in a probe centered on identity and mail theft. Octabio Ascencio, Melanie Reyna and Richard Whitney face allegations related to stolen identities and documents, while Giovanni Devora was taken for possession of a controlled substance and Britney Herlong was held on a Pasco County, Florida, extradition warrant for larceny. Officers say they recovered a stash of fraudulent IDs, credit cards, checks, stolen mail, electronics and narcotics as part of the ongoing investigation.
Neighbors on the block watched as marked units and tactical personnel moved in after law enforcement followed a paper trail and electronic alerts. Multiple Flock license plate reader reports alerted the Live Oak Police Department about stolen vehicles that “resulted in recoveries at or near the home,” police said, and those vehicle hits pushed the response into a coordinated entry. The scene was methodical and fast, with officers securing the perimeter and then clearing the house room by room.
The department booked three people on identity-related allegations: Octabio Ascencio, 50; Melanie Reyna, 34; and Richard Whitney, 39. Authorities say Ascencio is accused of taking fewer than five identifying items, while Reyna and Whitney allegedly stole more than 100 identifying items between them. Those are serious counts under state statute because identifying items give criminals access to finances, accounts and personal records that victims rely on every day.
Texas law treats a long list of details as identifying information, and investigators laid out those categories during the search. Name and date of birth are on that list alongside biometric data like fingerprints or retina scans, and electronic identifiers such as account numbers and routing codes. The law also includes electronic serial numbers or access devices and government-issued identifiers like Social Security numbers, all of which can be used to defraud someone or open accounts in their name.
Police also arrested 25-year-old Giovanni Devora after officers say they found a controlled substance during the operation, and they took 35-year-old Britney Herlong into custody because of a full extradition warrant from Pasco County, Florida, for larceny. Herlong’s arrest connects this scene to an active warrant from another state, and it shows investigators were compiling several threads before the raid. All those charged are in custody as detectives sort evidence and prepare potential charges.
Inside the home, officers and SWAT members seized a wide variety of items that paint a picture of a broad fraud operation rather than a single act. Investigators recovered suspected fraudulent identification documents, credit cards, checks, stolen mail, electronic devices, narcotics and assorted other items that could be used to steal identities or launder the proceeds. That haul gives prosecutors multiple avenues to pursue charges related to theft, fraud and possession offenses.
The Live Oak Police Department said the probe is active and that additional charges could be filed as detectives review evidence and follow leads tied to seized devices and documents. Officers collected digital devices that will need forensic analysis, and they gathered stacks of what is alleged to be stolen mail for comparison against reported missing items. That follow-up work can take weeks, and it’s what will determine whether the case expands beyond the current arrests.
The case underscores a recurring risk for residents who don’t guard physical mail and personal paperwork; identity thieves often begin their schemes by grabbing bills, bank statements or mailed offers with account numbers. Residents are reminded that simple steps—locking mailboxes, shredding expired statements and watching accounts for unfamiliar activity—can interrupt this kind of crime. Local law enforcement emphasizes that when suspects target mail and physical documents, the damage is often long-lasting for victims who must repair credit and accounts.
Officials with Live Oak and allied agencies say the investigation remains a priority and that anyone with information tied to activity around Elmwood Crest or Toepperwein Road should contact investigators. At this point the arrests of Ascencio, Reyna, Whitney, Devora and Herlong are the publicly known actions in the case, and detectives are working through forensic evidence to build a clearer timeline. The community can expect updates as charges are sorted and any new leads are developed.
