HOUSTON – Five teenage boys are accused of robbing fast food restaurants in the Heights area before leading Precinct 3 deputy constables on a brief chase in east Harris County.
Police said none of those arrested were older than 15.
Houston police said the teens are suspected of hitting four fast food restaurants and a pediatric dentist office in a less than two hour period Thursday morning. A few hours later, Precinct 3 deputy constables got a call that a group of people were trying to break into a car.
“We had a sergeant who realized the suspect vehicle and suspect description matched an HPD suspect description this morning from a stolen vehicle,” said Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Jorey Herrscher.
Deputy constables soon spotted that car near Beltway 8. Herrscher said the teens tried to get away, but surrendered after their car hit a curb while making a U-turn on Wallisville, causing a tire to blow out.
Houston police said the group is believed to have stolen cash drawers from a Carl's Jr. on Ella at the North Loop, another from a Jack in-the-box on Airline at the North Loop and a third from a Denny's on Washington near I-10. Police said they tried to rob a McDonald's on Washington but were unsuccessful. Video shows the teens walking into a Shipley's Donuts on Yale near the North Loop before seemingly getting spooked by two customers coming in behind.
Police said the group then went a few doors down and tried to steal iPads from a pediatric dentist office before realizing the tablets were bolted down. No one was hurt during any of these incidents.
After the arrests, some officers said they were surprised at the age of the suspects.
“It's pretty incredible. Even for those of us who are little bit jaded, this is a bit of shock,” Herrscher said.
All have been handed over to Houston police to be questioned by robbery detectives. Police said the car the teens were riding in during their spree had been reported stolen a day earlier.