Texas
3 Texas men arrested after leading officers on high-speed chase near Cedar Park
CEDAR PARK, Texas – Cedar Park police are warning residents to be vigilant after Wells Fargo bank employees alerted them to a possible jugging situation Thursday morning.
“Jugging” is a crime in which a suspect waits for someone to withdraw money from a bank or ATM, then follows the person to steal the cash. The offense became a felony in Texas last September.
The backstory:
“It’s a fairly common phenomenon. We deal with it several times a year, ranging anywhere from $500 to we had one incident a few years ago with a $100,000 loss,” said Cpl. Dan Kitchens, Cedar Park Police Department.
On Thursday, April 30, bank staff described suspicious behavior from a group of men who were watching customers and appeared to be casing the location.
“Once we got in the area, the vehicle that the suspects were occupying went mobile, and we were able to follow it into another bank, Bank of America,” Kitchens said.
Kitchens said when the suspects noticed his police cruiser, they took off, leading officers on a high-speed chase. The pursuit went through the Riviera neighborhood, where two men jumped from a moving car.
Officers eventually caught the pair after a brief foot chase. They were identified as Gabriel Lara and Nicholas Barrientos.
Meanwhile, the driver continued but did not get far.
“They crashed on the 183 to 45 flyover when it was starting to rain really heavily,” Kitchens said.
The driver, Ruben Barrientos, was taken into custody at the crash site.
All three men are from Waco.
“We did interview them after the pursuit and the driver did say they came down to the area to conduct jugging-type robberies or burglaries,” Kitchens said.
They are only facing charges for evading arrest because police intercepted the suspects before any jugging incidents were committed.
“We do believe that they were involved in a jugging last Friday. We didn’t have a reported victim yet, but that was not in Cedar Park, that was in Austin,” Kitchens said.
Detectives have also since connected the trio to an active case out of Oklahoma, in which a victim was followed to a place of worship and approximately $25,000 was stolen.
Police remind residents to be aware of their surroundings, not to leave cash inside vehicles and to call 911 if they believe they are being followed.
The Source: Information from the Cedar Park Police Department and interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Katie Pratt
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The Aledo community is mourning the loss of 14-year-old Brayden Martin after school officials confirmed the 8th grader was killed in an ATV crash Wednesday night, just hours before he was supposed to graduate middle school.
Aledo Independent School District confirmed Martin’s death to CBS News Texas. An Aledo ISD trustee and Martin’s select baseball team also said the crash involved an ATV.
In a statement to families, the district said extra support staff were on campus Thursday for students and teachers grieving the loss.
“We had extra support at Aledo Middle School this morning for our students and staff,” the district wrote in part. “We have asked our entire community to pray for Brayden’s family, friends and teachers.”
Martin’s death has sent shockwaves through the close-knit North Texas community, where friends, classmates and teammates have shared tributes online.
His select baseball team, the Wildcatters NTX 14U Place, posted a heartfelt message honoring their teammate.
“Brayden was more than a teammate — he was family,” the team wrote. “His love for the game, his smile, and the impact he made on everyone around him will never be forgotten.”
The post continued: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Martin family, his teammates, coaches, and all who knew and loved him during this unimaginable time. Forever a Wildcatter. Forever #10.”
Shane Davis also shared condolences online as memories and prayers poured in across social media.
Another Aledo family says they understand the unimaginable grief the Martins are now facing.
Glen Bates lost his 11-year-old son, Noah, in a UTV crash four years ago while riding on a ranch with friends. Bates told CBS News Texas that the pain of losing a child never goes away.
“You know, when you lose a child, you enter into a club that no parent ever wants to be a part of,” Glen Bates said. “And, it’s a lifelong journey.”
Glen Bates said his son was thrown from the vehicle after the boys lost control. He was killed instantly.
After Noah Bates’ death, the Bates family created the Noah Bates Memorial Foundation, focused on ATV and UTV safety education and training.
Federal safety data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows children under 16 make up a significant number of ATV-related deaths and injuries nationwide. A majority of those deaths are boys.
“These accidents are preventable,” Glen Bates said. “It just takes engagement. It takes conversation.”
Martin’s family has asked for privacy as the community continues to rally around them.
Texas
Scattered storms, flooding risk, cooler temperatures in store for North Texas into Memorial Day week
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