Suspected bank robbers in Mercedes take police on a high-speed pursuit
For half an hour Friday morning, suspected bank robbers in a black Mercedes sedan led police on a highspeed chase across Houston highways and through neighborhoods.
Two civilians helped wrestle one suspect to the ground. A man and his adult son subdued the sedan’s driver when he tried to carjack them after ditching the damaged Mercedes, Houston police Capt. Larry Satterwhite said.
“He saw what was going on and went to protect his father,” Satterwhite said of the son, who intervened when the two suspects bailed from the sedan about 11:15 a.m. on Enid near the Loop 610 interchange with the North Freeway.
A second suspect ran from the Mercedes into backyards of a residential area near a church. Police officers pursued on foot and detained the second suspect within minutes.
Television footage from the scene shows what appeared to be a red Wells Fargo bag on the trunk. Satterwhite said the suspects had tossed other bags, some of which police had recovered.
Police said the suspect’s driving resulted in the damages to the Mercedes, apparently including a blown-out front left tire. They believe the car was involved in other crimes.
The chase ended with no known injuries, Houston police said.
Spokeswoman Jodi Silva confirmed that officers had two suspects in custody but could not say whether police are looking for any additional suspects.
Houston police joined the chase about 10:45 a.m. at the request of Bellaire police after a robbery at an Amegy Bank in the 5300 block of Bissonnet, HPD spokesman Victor Senties said.
Two men went into the bank with guns, according to police at the scene of the chase. A person inside the bank hid during the robbery and called police to provide a description of the suspects.
Around 11 a.m. the car was speeding south on Interstate 45 after initially heading north on the freeway. The driver was weaving through traffic and eventually exited onto the North Loop 610.
About 11:10 a.m. the car took off into neighborhood streets in the Memorial Park area. The driver hit several other vehicles, ignored stop signs and drove the wrong way on one-way streets.