By LeaAnne Klentzman 

The quiet scene of safety and security of the Sugar Creek subdivision was shattered last week by a pair of  home invasion robbers. 

As neighbors went about their daily routines in and around Sugar Creek, two men forced their way into a home in the 2600 block of County Club Boulevard, terrorizing the resident and her caregiver. According to police about midday last Thursday, a man posing as a solicitor was at the front door of County Attorney Roy Cordes residence on Country Club, a main street in Sugar Creek.

When Mrs. Cordes’ caregiver answered the door, the would-be solicitor forced his way into the home at gunpoint, followed closely by a cohort.  Unable to stop the intruders, Mrs. Cordes’ caregiver begged them be careful and not harm them. Mrs. Cordes suffers from Alzheimer’s.  

While the intruders were in the home, the caregiver was bound and Mrs. Cordes was forced to the floor. The duo was so callous, they took her wedding ring from Mrs. Cordes’ finger. 

After more than an hour of ransacking and digging through the Cordes’ home, the intruders fled with electronics, jewelry, and other family valuables.  Eventually the caregiver was able to free herself enough to get to a phone and call police. 

According to authorities, neither woman suffered serious physical injuries.  Husband of the victim, Roy Cordes, said in a televised interview that you hear about this kind of thing happening on the news, but you never expect it to happen to you.  He was at work at the county courthouse in Richmond at the time his wife and her caregiver were taken hostage. He found out when Sugar Land police called for him to come home.  

Helen and Roy Cordes have both spent many years in public service in the Fort Bend County community. Roy has served as county judge and is currently the county attorney.  Helen spent many years serving on the FBISD school board as well as the Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse (FBRC) providing drug prevention programs for thousands of students in Fort Bend County schools.  Just last month Helen Cordes was recognized by FBRC with its Lifetime Achievement award.       

This aggravated robbery remains under investigation, but police have little to work with as the intruder’s faces were covered.  Anyone with information is asked to contact Sugar Land police at 281-275-2500.  Furthermore, Sugar Land police are reminding all residents NOT to open their doors to strangers and to remain vigilant about their surroundings. 

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