Robbery

Plague Of The Nicknamed Bandits

Houston Now Has A "Dirty Dozen" Bank Robbers; Nickname Expected To Result In Arrests Soon

Bank robberies are sprouting up like bankruptcies all over the Houston area, and the FBI and Crime Stoppers has decided to do something about it -- break out the nicknames.The two organizations officially announced today a list of the "Dirty Dozen" bank robbers in the Houston area, including "The No ... More >>

The Bank Robbery Record Has Been Broken!

Last year was a banner year for bank robberies in Houston, more than doubling the number from the year before.But last year's record has already tumbled, and we've still got a month to go.Doing their best to help in that effort are the robbers who keep hitting the IBC branch bank at 3939 Montrose, n ... More >>

West U? They're Robbing Banks In West U?

Famous bank robber Willie Sutton -- who lived in a time when bank robbers became famous -- was once asked why he robbed banks."Because that's where the money is," he replied.So probably we shouldn't be surprised that Houston's rash of bank robberies (it's been a record-setting year) has come to incl ... More >>

The Gangs Among Us

Asian crime is growing. Asian immigrants are its main target. And the HPD hasn't a clue what to do.

The First Two Local Bank Robberies of the New Year in Houston

Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Houston Bank Robbery Task Force were probably still nursing their hangovers when they were called to not one but two bank robberies on the first business day of the new year.

He's Not Only Silver-Haired, He's Reckless

The "Reckless Robber" has struck again.Although if he's so "reckless," as the FBI has dubbed him, why's he so successful?Maybe it's the silver hair. ("This unique fellow spray paints his hair silver prior to his robberies, perhaps thinking it makes him harder to recognize!" says FBI spokeswoman Patr ... More >>

Read My Lips. My Freakishly Colored Lips.

The FBI always comes up with cool names for bank robbers, and the G-Men (and G-Women) didn't let Hair Balls down today: following a robbery at the midtown Wachovia Bank this mornings, authorities nabbed a suspect with freakishly colored lips. And now the FBI thinks he might be "Read My Lips" - a uni ... More >>

Cop Moonlights At Bank, Robs It, Gets Recognized

Photo courtesy Conroe PDYou know the expression, "Don't shit where you eat?" Well, you could probably add "Don't rob your own employer or you'll be recognized and arrested" to the list.Earlier today, the FBI and Conroe Police Department announced that 20-plus year Conroe PD veteran Sgt. Michael Tind ... More >>

Bank Robberies Continue To Soar In Houston

Photo courtesy FBIBank robbers had a banner year in Houston in 2008, but it appears 2009 is going to be even better. (Or worse, if you're a law-abiding citizen.)FBI Special Agent Patricia Villafranca says robberies are up in a big, big way: "The Houston Bank Robbery Task Force, which investigates ba ... More >>

Axman at the Houston Chronicle and Bank-Robbing Cops

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Three Days Too Many

First, a botched robbery case. Now, a botched punishment for the HPD cop involved.

Truth and Consequences

Sometimes in the game of cops and robbers, telling your story is no defense

The Devil You Say

Was Jeffery Prible the cold-blooded murderer of an entire family? Or the gullible target of an opportunistic jailhouse informant?

In Search of Lost Time

Robert Conran jumped from the frying pan and into the fire. Then they turned up the heat.

The Big Score

A roving band of young men took to the streets of Montrose, committing more than 20 armed robberies in one week, police say. One guy was shot. No one was killed. A lot of people were terrified. Most times, the robbers' "loot" was a couple of bucks.

Gang of One

Critics say cops and prosecutors are too quick to label some minorities as gangsters

Death (Row) Watch

Odell Barnes joins a growing list of death row inmates whose convictions have become a lot less clear-cut during the appeals process.

Nice Girls With Guns

Kingwood High friends say the girls were "Sweet." Adults say "Well-Mannered." Cops say "armed robbers."

News of the Weird

Kingwood High friends say the girls were "Sweet." Adults say "Well-Mannered." Cops say "armed robbers."

Proud Of Your Tattoos -- Even During A Bank Robbery

Here's today's tip for Houston bank robbers: If the FBI's press release about you is able to note a detail like "he even had a skull tattooed on the back of his head," you're probably not taking that extra step to disguise your identity.Now, if you hang out in a colony of a couple thousand people wh ... More >>

Texas Tries, But Can't Lead The Nation In Bank Robberies

As faithful Hair Balls readers know, Houston loves it some bank robbin'. The FBI office here eagerly hands out nicknames to robbers (Best one yet: the fiend called "Read My Lips" because he has some ailment that discolors his lips).We've had polite robbers, reckless robbers, guys dressed as construc ... More >>

Bank Robbers Aren't Even Trying Hard These Days

He's older and well dressed, robbing a bank. ​A couple bank robberies this week in the area have us wondering if it's too easy to rob a bank these days. Take the "older, well dressed man" who robbed a bank yesterday in northwest Houston:He approached the teller counter and took the teller by sur ... More >>

Repeat Subway Robber Hits the Same Sandwich Shop Three Times

A disgruntled ex-Subway mascot, perhaps?​Fresh bread, healthy options, elaborate sneeze-guards -- some people just really love Subway. And Crime Stoppers and local law enforcement are asking for the public's help in identifying "The Repeat Subway Robber" -- a dude who's robbed the Subway at 2 ... More >>

Transvestites Are Robbing Banks In Wharton. Wharton?

Photos courtesy FBI​ The FBI usually tries hard to come up with a catchy nickname or description for the bank robbers they seek, but this time the robber did all the work himself.We're guessing -- and we freely admit we could be wrong -- that the population of black transvestites in the sleepy rur ... More >>

If You're Going To Rob A Bank, At Least Be Polite About It

Photos courtesy FBI​The FBI sounds highly annoyed at the latest Houston bank robber. Not because he robbed a bank -- anyone here is pretty much used to that sort of thing these days -- but because he was unspeakably rude while doing so.The "Big Bully," they're calling him.The headline on the relea ... More >>

Rosalio Ledesma, 28, Bayou Body Count No. 71

​Police arrested eight suspected robbers and shot one dead during a stake-out gone horribly wrong.It all started at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday when HPD officers in the robbery and tactical operations divisions set up surveillance on a building at 1200 Oak Meadows, a little west of Pasadena. They ... More >>

Police Need Help Finding Bank Robber, Identifying Sports Team Logos

Photo courtesy of the FBI​The Houston FBI and Richmond Police Department are looking for a man who robbed a Capitol One Bank in Richmond this morning. Like most criminal masterminds, he apparently felt it was OK to basically stare at the security camera because his sunglasses and baseball cap ... More >>

Reckless Robber: He's Reckless No More (Probably)

That man was so reckless​The FBI thinks they've got the man they dubbed the "Reckless Robber." Well, they didn't get him -- Fort Bend Sheriff's deputies did when they killed him in a shootout May 22.Mouafak Kazza, 26, was killed during a bank robbery where he was apparently even more reckless than ... More >>

Bank Robbery Quiz: How Well Do You Know Your Criminals?

Few of today's bank robbers look like Johnny Depp​The FBI has just released its bank-robbery statistics for the first quarter of 2010. A total of 1,183 financial institutions were robbed in the first three months of the year.How well do you know your modern-day Pretty Boy Floyds?1. Which ethnic gr ... More >>

You Think I'm A Bank Robber Just Because Of The Way I'm Dressed?

Photo courtesy FBIOkay, yeah, I'm a bank robber​Some bank robbers act all natural, looking like everyone else as they wait their turn with the teller. Others just flaunt it.The guy who robbed a Prosperity Bank branch in the 8800 block of Westheimer yesterday was one of the latter. Or maybe he just ... More >>

Bike Bandits Plague Houston: FBI Seeking Duo Of Pedal-Powered Brigands

"Hurry up, my ten speed's double-parked."​At the outset, the situation couldn't have seemed more menacing. Right around the time they opened their doors this morning at the Capital One bank on Highway 6 North, a tall, lanky guy in dark clothes and a baseball hat strode up to the counter and pa ... More >>

Guy Robs Bank, Gets Away In Taxi -- In Houston(!)

Photo courtesy FBITaxi!!​We've had bicycling bank robbers, banks robbers who waddled away, and now we've got a cool customer who takes a taxi.In Houston, where taxis are way down the list of transportation options, that's a nice twist.The perpetrator, described as "white male, 35-40, approximately ... More >>

FBI Now Criticizing Bank Robbers For Rudeness

Rudy can't fail​We've had the local FBI criticize bank robbers for a lack of fashion sense; they've ripped robbers for being somewhat portly and sloppy, but now they're really appalled.Now the bank robbers are being rude."At approximately 10:15 a.m. [Wednesday], the man entered the Fiesta store an ... More >>

Relax: FBI Looking for Impatient Bank Robber

Impatient robber is impatient​In October, we wondered what other manners infractions the FBI might levy against future bank robbers having already accused them of sloppy dress, chubbiness and simply being rude. We have our answer: impatience. According to the FBI, the suspect (seen in the pho ... More >>

Saturnino Aguerta, 57, Bayou Body Count No. 302

Shot to death in a robbery​A man was killed during the robbery of a southwest side gas station Friday evening. Houston police say Saturnino Aguerta, 57, was leaving a Conoco gas station/convenience store about 6:30 Friday evening when three men entered with ski masks. They robbed and shot him ... More >>

Dijwun Morgan, The Greensheet Bandit: Not Difficult To Find

Part of a master criminal plan​The Greensheet is a good way to buy or sell a TV, a hopefully not-too-mysteriously stained mattress, or your antique china. But Dijwun Morgan found another use for it, according to Baytown police: He used it to rob people. Morgan confessed to the robberies, according ... More >>

Rob My Purse? Sure. Just Let Me Get My Cigarettes First

Take my money, sure...BUT NOT MY CIGARETTES, dammit​A classic radio skit by Jack Benny (look him up, young'uns) had his miserly character being confronted by a robber. "Your money or your life," says the robber. Loooong pause. (Benny was the master of comic timing.) "Well?" says the robber. ... More >>

Ten Houston Neighborhoods: The Crimes They Experience

Paging McGruff the Crime Dog​We've been plotting which neighborhoods in Houston lead in certain crime categories, but doing that doesn't really get you to the more well-known parts of town. So we decided to zero in on a few specific neighborhoods and see what crime's been going down in them. ... More >>

Emilio Villanueva: Teen Bandit Foiled by Stubborn Power Cord (Allegedly)

Emilio Villanueva​For a time, before he was yanked back to reality, everything seemed to be going so well in Emilio Villanueva's restaurant heist. Yesterday in Corpus Christi, the 17-year-old runaway concealed his Dumb and Dumber hairdo under a beanie and his face behind a bandana. Clutching ... More >>

Trickle-Down Economics: Bank Robber So Successful He's Hired Help

Help wanted: Bank robbery is a growing field​Who says it's a tough job market? All it takes is a little success and employers will start hiring. Ask the dude who's wanted in at least seven local bank robberies since November. Let's put it this way: He's hiring. His latest escapade, at a Bank ... More >>

HPD Tries to Make Convenience Stores Safer

HPDHPD officer Joe Sanchez checks out an eastside conenience store​Houston police made a point of visiting convenience stores recently to inspect how well they're set up to deter robberies, the answer to which, we assume, is "not very." But the local Stop `n' Robs, while they're always going ... More >>

Unidentified Robber Crushed by Pursuing Car, Bayou Body Count No. 107

Robbery gone wrong​A man who tried to rob a northside business this morning was pursued and killed when he ran into traffic, Houston police say. The unidentified robbery suspect died about 9:45 a.m. after running from a store in the 100 block of Little York. The owner of the business chased ... More >>

Salem Saif Al Mazrouei, 28, Bayou Body Count No. 118

Foreign military officer killed in carjacking​A man was killed in a robbery near Reliant Park as he was taking his father home from treatments at the Texas Medical Center. Salem Saif Al Mazrouei, 28, is an officer in the army of the United Arab Emirates, reports UAE publication The National. ... More >>

FBI Releases Photo of Bank Robbers Leaving Kroger

Think they used their Kroger Plus Card? You can get discounts on gas at Shell with that thing.​It takes a lot of chutzpah to rob a bank. Doing it in the middle of Thursday afternoon near a well-to-do neighborhood is even more bold. But choosing a bank that is inside a Kroger is damn brazen. O ... More >>

Esvin Sabonluis, 27, Shot Near Richmond Strip, Bayou Body Count No. 161

Murdered near the Richmond Strip​A man walking with his wife to their car near the Richmond Strip was shot to death last night during a robbery attempt, police say. Esvin Sabonluis, 27, was killed about 9:10 p.m. in the 6200 block of Fairdale, near Fountain Vie and Richmond, HPD says. "Mr. S ... More >>

Nine Charged In Grocery-Store Bank-Robbery Ring; One Still On The Run

Photo via DOJPatrick Wayne Simmons is a wanted man​Federal prosecutors and the FBI announced the indictments of nine men who they say robbed eight Houston-area bank branches in grocery stores. One of the men, Patrick Wayne Simmons, 27, is still on the run; the others are in custody. Arrested ... More >>

Patrick Simmons: Most-Wanted Bank Robber Turns Himself In

Patrick Simmons gives up.​The suspected bank robber who was spotlighted by the FBI in a digital-billboard campaign turned himself in to authorities about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, the feds say. Patrick Wayne Simmons, who was wanted in a string of eight Houston-area robberies of bank branches located ... More >>

New Frontiers For Rice: Bank Robbery

Photo by FBIRice Pride, robbing a bank​He may not be "tall, dark & handsome," but this Comerica bank branch robber is proudly Rice, though and through. Not only is he wearing a dapper-yet-conservative business suit, he loudly displays his Owl Pride by sporting a Rice baseball cap, which, it m ... More >>

John "Steven" Stark: The FBI Defends Calling This Dude "Tall, Dark & Handsome"

Photos by FBIA dreamboat, according to the feds.​De gustibus non est disputandum, as they say in Latin, which basically means some people's taste sucks but there's no sense arguing with them about it. But we had to take issue with the FBI declaring bank robber John "Steven" Stark, pictured ab ... More >>