by | Published
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - Two men were arrested after police say they followed a woman home from a bank and assaulted her while trying to steal her purse in an apparent case of "bank jugging."
Mekhi McKinstry, 22, of Richmond, and Christian Woods, 20, of Houston, were arrested Thursday, Sept. 3, and charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest or detention.
New Braunfels police responded around 10:15 a.m. to the 2200 block of Meadow Way after receiving a report of an aggravated robbery.
The woman told officers she had just returned home from a bank and was getting out of her vehicle when an unknown man assaulted her while attempting to take her purse.
The attacker and an accomplice then fled in a greenish-yellow Chevrolet Trax, police said.
Officers used the New Braunfels Police Department's license plate reader system to help identify the vehicle. A short time later, police spotted the Trax turning from North Kowald Lane onto the Interstate 35 access road.
Officers attempted a traffic stop, and the vehicle eventually stopped at a gas station near Loop 337 and Business 35.
Both occupants jumped out and attempted to run, according to police.
Officers immediately caught one of the men, while the second ran into a nearby wooded area. Police deployed K-9 and drone units, with assistance from the Comal County Sheriff's Office, and located the second man in the woods. He was taken into custody without further incident.
McKinstry and Woods were transported to the Comal County Jail.
The woman suffered injuries during the robbery, but police said they were not life-threatening and she did not require transportation to a hospital.
Police described the robbery as part of a crime commonly known as "bank jugging," in which offenders watch people making withdrawals at banks or ATMs and follow them to another location. The victims may then be robbed directly, or their unattended vehicles may be burglarized for the cash.
New Braunfels police urged customers leaving banks to pay attention to vehicles or people who appear to be following them and to contact law enforcement if they notice suspicious activity. Police also warned against leaving cash or other valuables inside unattended vehicles.
Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
