Elected Democrat Caught on Tape, Charged with Burglary
A Democratic official in Texas is facing fresh legal trouble after being arrested over the weekend on burglary charges.
Dr. Carla Wyatt, the elected Democratic treasurer of Harris County, was arrested Saturday and charged with burglary of a vehicle, according to local media reports. Wyatt was later released after posting bond.
According to ABC 13 Eyewitness News, surveillance video shows Wyatt opening an unlocked minivan and climbing inside. While Wyatt reportedly claimed she had permission to enter the vehicle, the owners told police they did not know her and said she had no authorization to be inside the minivan.
The arrest stands in stark contrast to Wyatt’s own public statements about her role in office. In a prior interview with Houston television station KPRC 2, Wyatt said she hoped to be viewed as “a role model for those people who are coming behind me.” Wyatt is also listed as the first African-American elected to the treasurer position, according to the Harris County Treasurer’s official website.
BREAKING: Harris County, Texas Treasurer Carla Wyatt (D) arrested for allegedly breaking into a car.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 30, 2025
She also has a DWI from 2023 and was charged with violating conditions of her bond in 2024.
She was celebrated as the first black treasurer for Harris County and is up for… pic.twitter.com/OXQi3SnrL3
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the arrest but declined to provide additional details.
“We are aware that Carla Wyatt was arrested and charged with burglary of a motor vehicle,” the office told ABC 13. “As this case is pending, our office will not comment further on the details of the investigation.”
Wyatt did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
This is not the first time Wyatt has faced legal scrutiny. After taking office in January 2023, she was arrested later that year for driving while intoxicated, according to the Houston Chronicle. Court records show Wyatt violated the terms of her bond on multiple occasions, including failing to install a required interlock device in January 2024 and being intoxicated again in March 2024.
Despite those violations, the DWI charge was ultimately dropped in August after Wyatt completed a pretrial diversion program, ABC 13 reported.
The latest arrest is likely to intensify concerns about accountability and standards for elected officials—particularly as Democrats continue to position themselves as moral authorities in public life.