Suspect Arrested After Breaking Into Harris County Annex Overnight

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A man was arrested early Friday morning after breaking into a Harris County annex building along Spencer Highway, thanks to quick action by dispatchers and responding deputies.

On Friday, January 16, 2026, at approximately 1:37 a.m., Harris County Precinct 8 Constable dispatchers observed a suspicious male on surveillance cameras at the county annex in the 7300 block of Spencer Highway. The building was closed at the time and houses several county departments, including Civil and Administration divisions.

Dispatchers watched as the man attempted to enter the building while holding what appeared to be a thick wire. While deputies were en route, the suspect pried open an exterior door and made entry into the building.

Deputy C. McLain and Sergeant B. Claunch arrived on scene and located the suspect inside one of the rooms within the annex. He was detained without incident and identified as 45-year-old Vann Paul Kanigowski.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and accepted a felony charge of Burglary of a Building. Kanigowski was transported to the Harris County Joint Processing Center, where he was booked without incident. Bond has not yet been set.

Officials credited the dispatchers’ attentiveness and rapid response for the swift arrest, which occurred within minutes of the burglary.