2 accused in Jack in the Box robbery appear in court

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Two of four people accused in a restaurant robbery appeared Thursday in court. 

Xavier Cox, 17, and Javalon Robinson, 18, appeared before a judge who read their charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with robbery that happened on Monday. 

Police said a robbery task force was tracking several suspected thieves who they said were in a stolen white Ford Mustang. They followed the suspects to a Jack in the Box restaurant in the 6900 block of Highway 6 at FM 529, where they saw Robinson walk into the restaurant and then come back out.

After he returned to the front driver's seat of the Mustang, Cox and two others entered the Jack in the Box, police said.

Officials said the three men held a gun to the cashier's head while demanding that she hand over all the money. 

Officers who saw the whole thing entered the restaurant and ordered the suspects to drop their weapons and surrender, but the group began firing at three HPD officers and four DPS troopers, who fired back, police said. 

Officers shot Cox and the other two suspected robbers. One of the three died at a hospital

"The first few were very quick like fireworks. Then the last few, maybe five were just 'boom, boom, boom,' like really slow, but loud and powerful," a witness said. 

Police said Cox was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A 15-year-old boy was taken to a hospital, where he is in critical but stable condition, according to police. 

Officers said a 16-year-old boy was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Robinson was not injured and was arrested in the getaway vehicle. Robinson was free on bond for a deadly conduct charge. Police said Robinson has had run-ins with the law since he was 16.

RAW FOOTAGE: Cox and Robinson appear in court for robbery charges

The officers involved in the shooting were Sgts. C. Anderson and K. Bounds and Officer W. Peverill. 

There were no customers in the restaurant at the the time of the shooting.

"There were officers on the ground, officers hidden behind buildings. The helicopter had the spotlight on them," a witness said. "There were probably 35 police vehicles surrounding the area."

DPS has not released the names of the troopers involved in the shooting.

No officers were injured.

WATCH: SWAT standoff with suspected Jack in the Box thieves 

Investigators said they will be looking at video of the shooting, along with the other evidence.

"We do have body-worn cameras from our officers that they had on. They were activated, and so obviously there will be body-worn cameras video from the Houston Police Department,"  Chief Art Acevedo said. "And I'm certain we'll have video from these different businesses." 

Officers said the group is wanted in connection with at least 10 aggravated robberies in the North West 1960 area.

The judge ordered Cox be held on a $50,000 bond. Robinson is being held in jail for another pending case. 

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