HOUSTON – An aggravated robbery suspect has been arrested after leading Harris County sheriff’s deputies on a chase that ended in a deadly crash in northeast Houston, authorities say.
Davonte Williams, 27, was arrested Thursday night, according to the Houston Police Department.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet that Williams was out on bond for two previous cases of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Those cases date back to February and November of 2020.
Friday, the federal government stepped in.
Williams now faces at least one federal robbery charge, related to ‘interfering with commerce by force’.
He could face more than 20 years if convicted, and may still face additional charges related to the police pursuit and subsequent death of an innocent woman.
On Jan. 13, police said around 11 p.m., HCSO received a call of an armed robbery at a gas station on the Eastex Freeway. When the deputy responded, investigators said he noticed a man leaving a CVS Pharmacy in a vehicle that matched Williams’ description.
The deputy attempted to pull Williams over, but he took off, leading the deputy on a high-speed chase that exceeded 80-90 mph, according to investigators.
The chase ended at the intersection of Lockwood Drive and Laura Koppe Road where the deputy collided with a black vehicle containing a woman and her two children. The deputy was rescued by a bystander as his vehicle was ignited in flames, according to surveillance video obtained by KPRC.
The crash left the woman dead at the scene. The woman’s two children were transported to the hospital, where the 3-year-old remains in critical condition and the 2-year-old remains in stable condition.
The deputy who chased Williams was also injured and is in stable condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital.