Alleged bank robber killed in police chase that topped 130 mph

Saturday, September 14, 2019
WHARTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Authorities say one man is dead and another has been arrested after reportedly robbing a bank in Wharton.

On Thursday, police responded to a robbery at the First State Bank of Louise located at 505 E Boling Hwy.

Authorities say Tony Wayne Mitchell and LeEdward Demon Hopkins robbed the bank at gunpoint and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.

Later that evening, Lufkin police attempted a traffic stop on Hopkins while he was driving on Loop 287, but he led officers on a chase that reached speeds above 100 mph.

As the chase made its way onto Highway 59 towards Nacogdoches, police say Hopkins lost control of the vehicle and crashed. He was pronounced dead at the scene with an undisclosed amount of money and a gun.

Mitchell was arrested at a hotel in Houston near Highway 59 Saturday afternoon.
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