Two people have been arrested after attempting to rob a Texas woman of the $75,000 she had just withdrawn from a bank.
The woman, who has not been identified, was captured on surveillance footage exiting her car at a gas station in Houston near the bank when a man ran up behind her.
“Video surveillance indicated the victim exited her vehicle and a black male suspect attempted to steal her purse,” Harris County Constable Mark Herman said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“The victim fought hard and refused to give up her purse containing the money. The victim’s husband observed the struggle and physically engaged the suspect.”
Another Attacker
That’s when a black Chrysler 300 pulled up to the scene and a second black male exited and joined the fracas. After an intense scuffle and many blows exchanged, one of the assailants then got back in the car while the other was grabbed by the husband once more. The assailant then reversed the car, running over the couple.
“The female victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition,” Herman stated.
One person, arrested shortly after the crime, was identified as Davis Mitchell, 31. Charges for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon are currently being filed against him.
The second assailant was identified as Travonn Johnson, 27, who turned himself in after the surveillance footage was circulated across media outlets in the Houston area. Johnson was also charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
CONSTABLE ON PATROL WITNESS' VIOLENT ROBBERY OF A FEMALE VICTIM, ONE SUSPECT IN CUSTODY.https://t.co/Kn9jeNZ8fd pic.twitter.com/dTd7Ir4gqg
— Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (@Pct4Constable) August 17, 2018
Suspect Travonn Johnson is in custody ! He is the suspected driver of the Chrysler 300 that ran over the victims in the violent robbery last Friday. More arrests will be coming hopefully today! pic.twitter.com/AsWInhIGu7
— Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (@Pct4Constable) August 20, 2018
Inside Job
Now authorities are saying that they believe the attempted robbery was actually an inside job.
“There was someone inside the bank, an employee at the bank, that was possibly involved in this, and we will be getting a warrant for her arrest,” Herman told KHOU.
“She was followed from the bank to the [gas station] by these two robbers who drove in separate cars,” he added to KTRK, noting that the practice is known as “jugging.”
And police officers did arrest the alleged informant/bank employee, Herman announced. The employee was identified as Shelby Taylor Wyse and she was charged with second-degree felony robbery.
Constables arrested a Third suspect today in the violent robbery from last Friday! Shelby Taylor Wise will now too face justice. pic.twitter.com/tFeo6UrWZz
— Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 (@Pct4Constable) August 21, 2018
“Through an extensive investigation, constable investigators learned she was working at the bank where the victims withdrew the $75,000 on the day of the robbery. Additionally, she has direct ties to one of the suspects already under arrest for this violent robbery,” Herman said via Facebook.
Wyse had been dating Johnson, Herman clarified to KHOU. He said the Johnson and his girlfriend talked about the robbery attempt via text messages and that Wyse rented one of the cars used in the attack.
Officials said they’re still searching for a fourth suspect, who followed the female victim in yet another vehicle from the bank to the gas station, then to the female victim’s check-cashing business.
