In a coordinated response to escalating ‘jugging’ crimes, Austin police apprehended three individuals on Friday, accused of robbing a bank customer shortly after a cash withdrawal. The arrests occurred during an undercover operation by the Austin Police Department (APD) targeting such crimes.
Plainclothes officers had been dispatched to the Chase Bank on E. Stassney Lane at noon, identified by the APD’s crime analysis unit as a hotspot for ‘jugging’ – a term for the crime of targeting bank customers who have just withdrawn cash.
Observing from the parking lot, officers spotted two vehicles with occupants behaving in a manner deemed indicative of ‘jugging’. The vehicles tracked a customer from the bank to a parking lot on W. Oltorf Street, where the alleged robbery took place. As the victim was robbed, officers intervened. The suspects attempted to flee but were pursued by police and subsequently arrested with the assistance of additional units.
Searches of the suspect vehicles uncovered tools commonly used in burglaries, and the victim’s purse was retrieved along the escape route.
The accused, Dimarkus Mitchell, 33, Darrian Haywood, 31, and Darrell Jones, 31, face charges of robbery by assault and engaging in organized crime. They have been detained at Travis County Jail.
The APD credits the vigilant efforts of various divisions for the successful operation, including the Crime Analysis Unit, North Metro Tac Unit, Organized Crime Division, Robbery Unit, SWAT, and Region I Detectives.
In light of the recent events, APD has issued a community alert, encouraging people to be cautious during bank visits and to promptly report any suspicious following activity. They also advise against leaving cash in vehicles, emphasizing proactive measures to prevent falling prey to ‘jugging’.
4 Responses
This is such a scary and sad world we live in. It’s awful that people can’t even go to the bank without being targeted and robbed. Something needs to change.
I thought the police were supposed to protect us. If they were so vigilant, why didn’t they catch these criminals before they robbed someone?
I can’t believe this is happening in broad daylight. How can the police not prevent these crimes from happening? It’s their job to keep us safe!
It’s so frustrating that we have to live in fear of going to the bank. This is a major failure on the part of law enforcement.