Police said the suspects may be tied to multiple retail-area robberies under investigation across Houston.
HOUSTON, Texas — Four suspects, including a teenager, were taken into custody Monday after a robbery call in northwest Houston led officers on a chase that ended when a black Chrysler 300 slammed into a tree near Almeda Road and Wichita Street, police said.
The arrests capped a fast-moving investigation that stretched from northwest Houston to the Museum District area and left detectives sorting through several crime scenes by late afternoon. Police said they were investigating whether the group was connected not only to the call that started the pursuit, but also to other recent robberies involving banks and customer service counters inside grocery stores. Authorities had not publicly named the suspects or announced charges by the end of the day.
Police said the case began around 11:30 a.m. after officers were alerted to a robbery in the northwest part of the city. One local account said the first known stop was a bank inside a Kroger on Ella Boulevard. Another report said officers initially responded to an alarm call near 13484 Northwest Freeway, near a Walmart parking lot. Investigators were still working Monday evening to pin down the exact timeline, but officers soon identified a black Chrysler 300 as the vehicle they were looking for and began following it south through Houston. The pursuit moved onto major freeways before ending near Almeda and Wichita, where the car left the road and hit a tree.
After the crash, police said suspects ran from the car and spread into the surrounding area. Officers swarmed nearby blocks, searching streets, businesses and parking lots around Wichita, Southmore and the South Freeway. Authorities said one suspect was later found in a public bathroom, and television footage showed another detainee being moved from a police SUV onto a stretcher before being taken to an ambulance. Police said that injury appeared to be related to the collision. No bystander injuries were announced Monday, and officials said they had not yet confirmed whether any shots were fired during the robberies or the pursuit.
Investigators also said they were looking at a broader pattern. One local report said the suspects were believed to have gone from the Kroger location to a Walmart near Highway 290 at Tidwell Road and Hollister Road, where a second robbery was reported. Another report said detectives were reviewing several robberies over the past two weeks involving grocery store customer service booths and banks. That wider focus suggested police were testing whether Monday’s chase was part of a larger series rather than a one-off case. By Monday night, authorities had not said what evidence they recovered from the car or whether weapons had been found.
Neighbors near the crash scene described a chaotic finish. Mary Lowery, who lives nearby, said the sudden rush of sirens drew her to the door. She said she saw police cars all over the neighborhood and a wrecked car against the tree as officers moved in with weapons drawn. Police later said the fourth suspect, a teenager, was found near a gas station around South Freeway and Southmore Boulevard. Investigators said money was found outside the building before officers located the teen inside a bathroom. Authorities said they were still trying to determine exactly how the teenager was involved.
By Monday evening, detectives were still reconciling early details from different scenes, interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage. No formal charges had been publicly detailed, and police had not released the names or ages of the suspects beyond saying one was a juvenile. The next major step in the case is expected to come once investigators complete the timeline and prosecutors review possible robbery and evading charges.