League City crime: Authorities intercept possible 'jugging' crime
LEAGUE CITY - A juggling crime by two suspects may have been prevented by authorities in League City at Chase Bank on Monday.
Byron Butler, 32, and Anthony Banks, 31, are now facing Unlawful Use of a Criminal Instrument charges. They are each facing a $200,000 bond from the Galveston County District Attorney's Office. According to law enforcement, the suspects are documented Houston gang members.
Friendswood Police informed League City detectives about a suspicious white Jeep in the Chase Bank parking lot at 1751 W FM 646. This was around 2:27 p.m. the same day. Upon arrival, detectives say they observed a Jeep changing parking spots multiple times with tinted windows and no one exiting the vehicle. A similar pattern of behavior was seen in a crime known as "juggling," when criminals target bank customers carrying cash and follow them to steal their funds.
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Authorities say a woman left Chase Bank with cash in hand. The Jeep seemed to follow her at around 2:40 p.m. Detectives, suspecting a potential robbery, decided to act and called in patrol officers to stop the Jeep. Officers Jones and Fibich from League City PD and a Galveston County Sheriff's Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on the Jeep.
While searching for their vehicle, police found gloves, face masks, duct tape, and other items associated with criminal activity. It is also possible that the suspects burglarized other cars based on the broken glass inside the Jeep, police say. Both men were detained without incident.