Video released of suspects in cell phone store armed robberies

HOUSTON -- Police need the public's help identifying three serial cell phone robbers who are wanted in at least seven incidents.

These three suspects, ages 17 to 20 and shown in surveillance videos, have hit a Boost mobile, a McDonald's, and a few Cricket stores. One Cricket location was robbed at gunpoint three times.

Police say in each incident, the suspects act like customers and ask questions about cell phone prices and service plans. Then one suspect pulls out a gun, demands money from the register and threatens to shoot the employees if they don't do as they're told. The suspects take as many cell phones as they can each time.

Police said with each robbery, the suspects seem to get bolder and more confident.

One store employee said the robbers were so quiet that she didn't even know they were being robbed until she saw her manager hand over the money.

"At first...I didn't have a clue so I didn't know what was going on, but then afterwards, of course, I was a little freaked out," said Ruby Cepeda, a Cricket Store employee.

"They're using guns, and they've actually gotten into a couple of struggles with a couple of the complainants," said Officer W. West with the Houston Police Department. "Again, no one has been injured, but when you start using weapons and struggling with people with weapons, they can accidentally go off, and somebody can get injured, and that's the last thing we want to happen."

Store employees say at least $5,000 worth of merchandise and cash have been stolen.

Police believe the suspects are responsible for robberies at the following locations:

• Cricket Store at 8658 South Braeswood about 7:10 p.m. on February 2
• Cricket Store at 8658 South Braeswood about 6:50 p.m. on February 8
• Cricket Store at 8658 South Braeswood about 1:50 p.m. on February 23
• Cricket Store at 9621 Fondren Road about 7:40 p.m. on February 28
• Cricket Store at 7245 Bissonnet about 11:50 a.m. on March 2
• Boost Mobile Store at 7600 Sanford about 2:40 p.m. on March 3
• McDonald's at 10900 Beechnut about 5:20 p.m. on March 8
• Cricket Store at 9621 Fondren about 7:45 p.m. on March 20

Authorities also believe the suspects are from southwest Houston, since most of the robberies happened in that area.

Police do need help identifying these men.

If you have any information, call Houston PD or Crimestoppers at 1-713-222-TIPS.