Bellaire Examiner - News
Bellaire police nab robbery suspects
By ANNE MARIE KILDAY
Working long hours and overtime shifts on patrol, Bellaire police have caught two suspects in connection with four recent armed robberies in Bellaire.
Assistant Police Chief Byron Holloway said Monday that “two men are in custody, and we hope to file charges against two more suspects” in a recent string of the aggravated robberies in the city since Aug. 1.
None of the robbery victims were physically injured.
Michael James White, 30, and his brother, Dwight Leon Davis, 19, were arrested by Bellaire police Friday and remain in the Harris County jail in lieu of $90,000 bond each. They are both charged with aggravated robbery.
Bellaire police hope to catch two other suspects they believed were involved in the robberies this week, Holloway said.
The Bellaire department has a warrant for a warrant for a woman who was involved in the robberies and drove the car, as well as using the victims’ ATM and credit cards at several southwest Houston gas stations and convenience stores.
Another man is believed to have been the fourth member of a gang that was involved in four robberies in Bellaire since August 1, Holloway said.
The string of aggravated robberies began with the 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1 robbery of a Bellaire couple who were walking in the 8200 block of Alder Street.
Three other armed robberies followed, including two armed robberies in the early morning hours of Aug. 8, which occurred in the 4400 block of Camellia Street and and the 5000 block of Beech Street.
The fourth armed robbery happened Aug. 15 in the 500 block of S. Third Street.
Bellaire police believe the suspects might have been involved with other armed robberies in nearby southwest Houston.
“This is not the first time they’ve done this, “ Holloway said.
Holloway said that there was several “similar robberies” in the Westheimer area of Houston.
Holloway said last week that police had developed some “strong leads” pointing to three men — and a woman — who were involved in the Bellaire robberies.
Police obtained surveillance videos of the woman as she used the ATM cards of robbery victims at stores and gas stations.
“This is just a group of young thugs — they just follow somebody, rob them and get a little bit of cash from their ATM cards,” Holloway said. “The scary thing about it is they were using a shotgun and a pistol.”
Holloway said that the suspects were believed to have been “cruising around” in Bellaire, waiting for residents as they exited Houston freeways and headed to their Bellaire homes.
“For lack of a better term, this was just a good spot to fish,” Holloway said.
It did not appear the suspects followed the victims from other parts of Houston — since one victim told police he passed the suspects’ car as he exited the 610 Loop at the Evergreen exit.
The Bellaire Police Department put officers on overtime duty — in marked and unmarked cars — to patrol the city and look for the robbers, Holloway said.
In all of the cases, the suspects’ vehicle was described as a dark green, four-door 2000 to 2002 Chevrolet Malibu.
Another case, the robbery of a Meyerland resident who was walking home at 5:30 a.m. on July 30 “may or may not be connected,” to the armed robberies in Bellaire, Holloway said.
Bellaire police worked with “resources” offered by the Houston Police Department, Holloway said.
Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite told the City Council about the arrests of the two robbery suspects Monday night.
In response to a question from City Council Jim Avioli, Satterwhite said the four suspects were part of “a very organized” gang.
Satterwhite also said the suspects followed Bellaire residents who were driving “nice cars” to “very nice homes.”
In each of the four aggravated robberies in Bellaire, two of the men used a handgun and a shotgun to demand cash and property from their victims.
Before catching the alleged robbers, Bellaire police had advised residents to be cautious and aware of their surroundings.
“People should listen to their instincts,” Holloway said. “If you think you’re being followed — most people most people won’t know where the nearest police station is — (try to) go to a facility like that, or to any other any well-lit area where there is a greater degree of safety.”
Holloway suggested that a hospital emergency room, or well-lit convenience store parking lot would be safer than driving home alone .
“If you’ve got a cell phone, call the police. People shouldn’t be concerned about being concerned. In this day and time, we would much rather it be the case that somebody possibly overreacted and find them safe,” Holloway said.
Assistant Police Chief Byron Holloway said Monday that “two men are in custody, and we hope to file charges against two more suspects” in a recent string of the aggravated robberies in the city since Aug. 1.
None of the robbery victims were physically injured.
Michael James White, 30, and his brother, Dwight Leon Davis, 19, were arrested by Bellaire police Friday and remain in the Harris County jail in lieu of $90,000 bond each. They are both charged with aggravated robbery.
Bellaire police hope to catch two other suspects they believed were involved in the robberies this week, Holloway said.
The Bellaire department has a warrant for a warrant for a woman who was involved in the robberies and drove the car, as well as using the victims’ ATM and credit cards at several southwest Houston gas stations and convenience stores.
Another man is believed to have been the fourth member of a gang that was involved in four robberies in Bellaire since August 1, Holloway said.
The string of aggravated robberies began with the 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1 robbery of a Bellaire couple who were walking in the 8200 block of Alder Street.
Three other armed robberies followed, including two armed robberies in the early morning hours of Aug. 8, which occurred in the 4400 block of Camellia Street and and the 5000 block of Beech Street.
The fourth armed robbery happened Aug. 15 in the 500 block of S. Third Street.
Bellaire police believe the suspects might have been involved with other armed robberies in nearby southwest Houston.
“This is not the first time they’ve done this, “ Holloway said.
Holloway said that there was several “similar robberies” in the Westheimer area of Houston.
Holloway said last week that police had developed some “strong leads” pointing to three men — and a woman — who were involved in the Bellaire robberies.
Police obtained surveillance videos of the woman as she used the ATM cards of robbery victims at stores and gas stations.
“This is just a group of young thugs — they just follow somebody, rob them and get a little bit of cash from their ATM cards,” Holloway said. “The scary thing about it is they were using a shotgun and a pistol.”
Holloway said that the suspects were believed to have been “cruising around” in Bellaire, waiting for residents as they exited Houston freeways and headed to their Bellaire homes.
“For lack of a better term, this was just a good spot to fish,” Holloway said.
It did not appear the suspects followed the victims from other parts of Houston — since one victim told police he passed the suspects’ car as he exited the 610 Loop at the Evergreen exit.
The Bellaire Police Department put officers on overtime duty — in marked and unmarked cars — to patrol the city and look for the robbers, Holloway said.
In all of the cases, the suspects’ vehicle was described as a dark green, four-door 2000 to 2002 Chevrolet Malibu.
Another case, the robbery of a Meyerland resident who was walking home at 5:30 a.m. on July 30 “may or may not be connected,” to the armed robberies in Bellaire, Holloway said.
Bellaire police worked with “resources” offered by the Houston Police Department, Holloway said.
Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite told the City Council about the arrests of the two robbery suspects Monday night.
In response to a question from City Council Jim Avioli, Satterwhite said the four suspects were part of “a very organized” gang.
Satterwhite also said the suspects followed Bellaire residents who were driving “nice cars” to “very nice homes.”
In each of the four aggravated robberies in Bellaire, two of the men used a handgun and a shotgun to demand cash and property from their victims.
Before catching the alleged robbers, Bellaire police had advised residents to be cautious and aware of their surroundings.
“People should listen to their instincts,” Holloway said. “If you think you’re being followed — most people most people won’t know where the nearest police station is — (try to) go to a facility like that, or to any other any well-lit area where there is a greater degree of safety.”
Holloway suggested that a hospital emergency room, or well-lit convenience store parking lot would be safer than driving home alone .
“If you’ve got a cell phone, call the police. People shouldn’t be concerned about being concerned. In this day and time, we would much rather it be the case that somebody possibly overreacted and find them safe,” Holloway said.
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