And so it begins. KHOU reporting…

When Houston-area residents heeded warnings to flee Hurricane Rita, they left behind nearly abandoned neighborhoods and stores.

And a potential playground for thieves.

By Friday morning at least three people had been arrested on charges of looting. Houston school district police arrested three juveniles Thursday night who were accused of going room to room at Hamilton Middle School looking for electronics.

“They did this because they thought no one would be paying attention,” district spokesman Terry Abbott said. “We are amazed it was happening even before the storm.”

Amazed? Not really.

(Hat tip: Shawn Wasson of Bareknucklepolitics.com)

John Little blogging in Houston has more (and be sure to see his photo):

Well I just found out why the media was in my parking garage. Looters struck last night and trashed 12 cars. We usually have very tight security but the gates were left open by management due to fears of power outages. I need to go check my car now.

Update:

My car is fine but the mood in the area is tense. I ran across two neighbors carrying hunting rifles who were actively searching for a guy they suspected of breaking into more cars. They agreed to let me photograph them from the neck down. Hopefully, HPD will send one or more officers to our neighborhood. I think we are [at] risk for more looting or worse.

Let’s hope the Houston PD has a healthier respect for the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens trying to protect their lives and property than the New Orleans PD did.

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More news:

Via AP: HISD police arrest 3 on looting charges