FBI: Up to $100,000 reward offered in murder of Brinks armored car driver

HOUSTON – The Houston area is leading the nation in armored car robberies, but the latest resulting in the death of Brinks armored guard Alvin Kinney - a beloved husband and father - has ignited and shocked the community over the tactics and level of violence displayed by a group of killers who remain at large.

FBI investigators say the veteran Brinks guard never stood a chance as the masked and armed assailants ambushed and executed Kinney in broad daylight in the Galleria area.

A Brinks armored guard team was making a delivery at the Capital One Bank, located at 5718 Westheimer Road, around 2:10 p.m. on Feb 12.  As Kinney was returning to his vehicle, at least three armed assailants wearing body armor and face-shield masks approached Kinney and opened fire without any verbal warning.  The gunmen fired at both Kinney and his partner, fatally shooting Kinney.

While also under fire, the second Brinks guard returned fire as the assailants backed up a stolen white Ford F-250 truck and quickly loaded several bags of cash.  Houston Police officers quickly recovered the stolen truck which was abandoned near the Capital One Plaza at 2000 Bering Drive.\

According to police, the Ford was stolen from the Pipeline Grill in Baytown in May 2014.  The Ford F-250 had a tool box.  At the time of the robbery, it also had blue and white decals with the wording "HRT Houston Road Transit JV" on the driver's side and rear tailgate of the vehicle.

The FBI Violent Crime Task Force, Houston Police Department, and other area law enforcement partners and private agencies are coming together in a show of force and to plea for the public's help to solve this case and take a stand against violent aggravated robberies across the Houston and Harris County area. 

In 2014, the Greater Houston area led the nation with eight armored car robberies, or 20 percent of the national total for that year.  Houston's Violent Crimes Task Force responds to approximately 120 bank robberies each year - more than 40 percent of those robberies are violent takeover robberies. 

The national average for takeover bank robberies is six percent.  In 2014, the FBI enhanced the Violent Crimes Task Force with additional personnel and resources to address the alarming trend.       

A digital billboard campaign launched Monday offering up to a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and identification of the masked gunmen and any others who took part in the robbery and shooting of Kinney. 

Crime Stoppers of Houston is sponsoring the reward with $50,000 being offered by Brinks and $50,000 being offered by the FBI.  

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).  Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637).  Tips may also be submitted online, or through the Crime Stoppers of Houston app which can be downloaded at the app store for both iPhone and android devices.  Tips may be reported in Spanish or English.  All tipsters remain anonymous.  

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