It all started when the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 3:30pm about a robbery at an AT&T store in the 2200 block of Rayford Road near Imperial Oaks Boulevard in south Montgomery County.
According to MCSO, two employees and a customer were in the store when black males entered and stole a load of new and used cell phones, cash and even a customer's purse. Officials said at least one of the suspects was armed.
Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable's Office deputies responded to the scene and were able to get vehicle and suspect descriptions to broadcast to surrounding patrol units.
Shenandoah police spotted the suspects and tried to pull over their getaway van near Interstate 45 and Sawdust Road, but the driver refused to stop and the chase began.
Law enforcement officials chased them southbound on I-45 for about 15 minutes. The van struck two vehicles during the pursuit and finally crashed near Rankin and Ella in north Harris County. The stash from the store could be seen in the floorboard of the van.
"It was scary because we didn't know what it was. We thought they were breaking down our door," nearby resident Yvette Hall said. "They knocked over the trash can and kicked the fence in."
Officials said one suspect was arrested immediately while the three other suspects fled on foot, hiding in the woods while officers surrounded them.
"I was in shock," nearby resident Brittany Hall said. "It happened so fast and the guys were in the back of the yard."
Multiple agencies responded, including Houston Police Department K-9, DPS, MCSO and the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
"Our ability to communicate with each other helped out a lot. The deputies and officers being at the right place at the right time," MCSO Chief Deputy Matthew Rodrigue said. "We don't downplay luck when these things happen. We'll take all we can get to catch the bad guys."
All four suspects were eventually taken into custody. Three of them went directly in for questioning while the fourth was taken to an area hospital for a K-9 bite wound.
No serious injuries were reported.
"You didn't want to spend your Sunday evening like this," Yvette Hall said. "But it's what happens when you do wrong."
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