HOUSTON – Houston police said Monday they are questioning five people believed to have been involved in at least eight robberies on Black Friday.
The men apparently cruised the city looking for victims, according to police. Among the victims were older women who were brutalized and robbed in store parking lots and on the street in broad daylight.
The victims included:
• A 67-year-old woman who was attacked in the Dillard’s parking lot at 4925 Westheimer. She was pistol-whipped and robbed of her purse.
• A 70-year-old woman who was attacked in the parking lot of the Kroger’s store at 9851 Westheimer. The robber took her purse and tried to steal her car.
• A 32-year-old woman who was punched and robbed of her purse in the Kohls parking lot at 4730 W. Belfort.
• A 19-year-old woman was robbed by an armed person outside the Lucky Korean BBQ at 8510 Bellaire Blvd.
• A 78-year-old woman was slugged in the head and robbed of her purse as she left the AMC 30 theater at 2949 Dunvale.
• A 65-year-old woman was attacked as she walked in the 6800 block of Hornwood. The robbers took her purse.
• Another woman was hit in the head as she crossed the street in the 6600 block of Ashcroft.
• A man’s 2010 Maxima was stolen from his home in the 6400 block of Westheimer.
Jeremiah Smith and Keyshawn Taylor were stopped the same day as the attacks in a silver Malibu described as the getaway car by several victims at the Southwest Freeway and Bellaire. Christian Lagway, Antonio Bennett and Donald Mayberry were pulled over in the 2010 Maxima that had been reported stolen.
Police are preparing lineups to try to determine if the men can be connected to other robberies, and at the same time, investigators are trying to determine if there are other suspects.