GALVESTON, Texas – Seven people, including three teens, have been arrested in connection with a string of robberies, the Galveston Police Department said Friday.
A Robbery Suppression Task Force was created by the Galveston Police Department on Monday to investigate the robberies. Police said the task force was created in response to an apparent string of armed robberies that the island has recently been experiencing.
The details of how several of the robberies were conducted and the descriptions of the suspects were very similar, police said.
The task force began pursuing leads and working with other agencies to identify and arrest those allegedly responsible. Police said the first arrest was made Tuesday night, and information gained from the arrest helped lead officers to several other suspects.
The task force has so far arrested four adults and three juveniles, police said.
Dolly Hughes, 35; Oshea Coleman, 26; Roderick Harbin, 22, and Douglas Zeigler, 19, have been charged.
Police said three 15-year-olds have also been charged with aggravated robbery with a firearm.
Harbin is accused of aggravated robbery with a firearm and engaging in organized criminal activity (firearm smuggling), with bond set at $290,000.
Zeigler is accused of engaging in organized criminal activity (firearm smuggling) and aggravated assault, with bond set at $500,000.
Hughes is accused of aggravated robbery with a firearm, with bond set at $100,000.
Coleman is charged with burglary of a building, evading arrest and felony strangulation. His bond is $263,500.
The arrests combined have cleared nearly all of the reported aggravated robberies. Police said the island has experienced about nine cases in the past 30 days.
Police said that in addition to the arrests this week, officers have executed six search warrants, seized Ecstasy, Xanax and marijuana all packaged for delivery -- and seized five firearms, two of which were stolen.