HOUSTON – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and Houston Police Department (HPD) responded Wednesday evening to a reported armed robbery at a cell phone store in north Houston. Five suspects were taken into custody after they fled from the scene.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., three adults and two juveniles (all male) allegedly entered the store on Aldine Mail Route Road with handguns, stealing several Apple iPhones and taking more than $300 from the store’s cash register before fleeing in a 2002 Lexus passenger car. DPS Aircraft personnel in a helicopter spotted the fleeing suspects and alerted a responding DPS Trooper to the suspect vehicle’s location.
When the Trooper stopped the vehicle, the suspects fled on foot. The HCSO helicopter and several canine teams arrived at the scene and began assisting with the search. While fleeing on foot, the suspects discarded handguns and mobile phone boxes, which were recovered after aerial footage was reviewed. One suspect attempted to steal a vehicle from a driver but was unsuccessful.
With the help of law enforcement canine teams and aviation assets, DPS Troopers and Special Agents, HCSO Deputies and HPD Officers arrested the suspects for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon (first degree felony). Jared Edwards, 17; Chandler Lusk, 17; Earl Rafer Sowell, 18, and the two juveniles were transported to the Harris County Jail.
This is an ongoing investigation, and further details are not available for release at this time.
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