Family robbed in driveway after trip to mall

HOUSTON Authorities said they typically see an increase in driveway robberies during the holidays. In Cypress, there have been two within three miles of each other just this week.

It was the holiday shopping trip one family won't soon forget.

"Our neighbors knocked on my door; and they were all shaking and crying. I asked them what happened and they said they had been just robbed," said a neighbor of the family who was robbed.

The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, says the victims and their two young daughters returned to their home after shopping at Willowbrook Mall. Investigators say that's when three men in a red mustang pulled in behind them. Two of them had guns.

"They pointed the gun at the mother, in her face, and asked for all the bags that they had. They threw the husband on the floor," the neighbor said.

The suspects stole about $1,200 in electronics they had just bought from Best Buy Mobile, a store inside the mall. The husband told Eyewitness News he believes someone inside the store may have overheard him relay his personal information to the cashier, though authorities say it's possible they may have been followed home.

Robbery investigators will review the store's surveillance tape.

Meanwhile, concerned homeowners in the neighborhood are on alert.

"I'm the president of the HOA here, and we try to send out newsletters so people know when things are going on," neighbor LaSandra Harper said.

No arrests have been made. The Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office, who patrol this area, are stepping up patrols at shopping centers in the area as part of a holiday patrol initiative.

What precautions should you take while out shopping? The Harris County Sheriff's Office has released a list of safety tips.