IRVING, Texas — An Irving man is facing felony charges after police say he stole more than $42,000 from his roommate and later threatened a woman with a knife over a portion of the stolen money that he believed was missing.
According to the Irving Police Department, a man reported on May 30 that between May 28 and May 30, $42,240 in cash had been stolen from his residence in the 3000 block of McCarthy Street in north Irving. The victim told investigators the money had been hidden in his bedroom.
Police said the victim lived with 37-year-old Raymo Piedra-Hurtado.
The investigation expanded on June 17 when Irving Detective Hilton and Sgt. DelFierro interviewed the victim of a separate aggravated assault allegedly committed by Piedra-Hurtado.
According to an arrest affidavit, the woman admitted she had helped conceal the stolen cash and implicated Piedra-Hurtado in the theft. Investigators said text messages recovered from her phone appeared to corroborate her account, including conversations about the stolen money and an ongoing dispute over its whereabouts.
Police allege Piedra-Hurtado stole the cash from his roommate and instructed the woman to take it to Oklahoma for safekeeping.
Investigators believe the aggravated assault stemmed from Piedra-Hurtado's belief that approximately $13,000 of the stolen money was missing.
According to the arrest affidavit, on June 11 the woman agreed to meet Piedra-Hurtado at Irving Mall to discuss the money.
While inside Piedra-Hurtado's vehicle, investigators say he threatened to kill her while displaying a knife. He allegedly grabbed her by the back of the head and pressed the tip of the knife against her throat, causing pain and leaving a visible mark.
The affidavit states Piedra-Hurtado told the woman he did not kill her because he liked her and instructed her to "go home, drink some rum and thank God" that he had spared her life. He gave her until June 17 at 5 p.m. to repay the missing money before releasing her.
The woman later contacted 911.
Piedra-Hurtado was arrested without incident on June 17 and booked into the Irving Jail at approximately 3:29 p.m.
He is charged with:
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Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a second-degree felony
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Theft of Property Between $30,000 and $150,000
His bond was initially set at $300,000.
According to police records, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration detainer on Piedra-Hurtado.
