Conroe Police Use Flock Cameras to Arrest Stabbing Suspect

CONROE, Texas – A 21-year-old man is behind bars following a stabbing in a busy Target parking lot in Conroe late last month, an arrest authorities say was made possible by the city’s advanced automated license plate recognition technology.

The incident occurred on the evening of December 27, 2023. At approximately 9:00 p.m., Conroe Police Department officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of North Loop 336 West following reports of a violent confrontation in the parking lot of the local Target store.

Upon arrival, first responders discovered an adult male suffering from a stab wound to the chest. Emergency personnel stabilized the victim at the scene before transporting him to HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe. Officials confirmed that the victim’s injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

Witnesses on the scene told investigators that the assailant fled the area immediately following the stabbing, speeding away in a dark-colored Chevrolet sedan.

Conroe police detectives quickly launched an investigation, canvassing the area and securing surveillance footage from the Target store and neighboring commercial properties. However, the breakthrough in the case came from the department’s investment in public safety infrastructure. Investigators utilized the Flock Safety Camera System, a network of cameras designed to capture vehicle data and alert law enforcement to identified vehicles of interest.

The system proved critical less than four hours after the crime. At 12:47 a.m. on December 28, the Flock system triggered a real-time alert, notifying officers that the suspect’s vehicle had been detected near the busy intersection of Highway 105 and Interstate 45.

Patrol officers and detectives converged on the area and successfully initiated a traffic stop on the Chevrolet. The driver was identified as Erick Castillo Flores, 21. Following a brief investigation, officers positively identified Flores as the suspect involved in the stabbing. He was taken into custody without further incident at approximately 1:00 a.m.

Flores has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony in the state of Texas. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he remains held on a $75,000 bond.

This case highlights the growing reliance on automated surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies across Montgomery County. The Flock system, which scans license plates and vehicle characteristics, has become a standard tool for Conroe PD in tracking suspects in real-time as they navigate major transit corridors like the I-45 and Highway 105 interchange.

The Conroe Police Department has not released a motive for the stabbing, and the case remains under investigation. Residents with additional information regarding this incident are encouraged to contact the Conroe Police Department at 936-522-3200.