Police search for 'jugging' suspect after Mesquite business owner robbed of $5,000
A Mesquite gym owner lost $5,000 in a "jugging" incident after withdrawing cash from a bank.
The man believes he was followed from the bank, and his 15-year-old daughter was in the car when a suspect stole the money.
Dallas police are investigating, have collected fingerprints, and are hoping to identify suspects using surveillance footage from the area.
PLEASANT GROVE - Dallas police are investigating a possible case of jugging that left a man without thousands of dollars.
A Mesquite small business owner says he went to the bank, then went to run another errand, when a man stole the cash out of his vehicle.
What Happened
Tuesday, FOX 4 spoke with Chris Robles of Mesquite. He owns the Grind Hard Fitness gym in Mesquite. Just before noon on Friday, Robles withdrew $5,000 in cash from a Pleasant Grove Chase bank near Masters and Lake June Road.
He walked back to his car, with a cash envelope in his pocket.
Then Robles drove four miles to pick up a U-Haul at the corner of Jim Miller Road and C.F. Hawn Freeway, right across the street from Dallas PD's southeast patrol division. He believes he was being watched and then followed.
Robles told us he even tried to be cautious that day. He went inside the bank to get the cash from a teller, not the outside ATM. But even after doing that, he says he still was targeted.
While he was inside the business, a thief, who he believes followed him from the bank, stole the money from his car.
The scariest part, to him, was that his 15-year-old daughter was also in danger.
What they're saying
"I didn't have any idea someone was following me. Everything was very normal," Robles said.
He went inside while his 15-year-old daughter waited in the vehicle.
"As soon as I walked in the door, I got a phone call from my daughter. And she was yelling, 'someone is in the car.' I thought she said someone hit the car. So I ran out there immediately. And I saw her crying," Robles said.
Robles said his daughter later told Dallas officers a man in his late teens to early twenties with a black ski mask took the cash from the center console. The teenager said she was able to snap a quick photo of the suspect vehicle: a gray Honda sedan. She sent the picture over to the Dallas police.
"She is 15 years old. I'm glad she is here today," Robles said.
What's next
Dallas police confirm they're investigating the robbery and are still looking for the suspect or suspects involved. Dallas investigators collected fingerprints from Robles' vehicle.
Robles was also told by police they have cameras at that intersection, and they hope to capture a license plate.
Meanwhile, Robles is still focused on growing his gym grind hard fitness even with the unplanned and dangerous money setback.
Dig deeper
The tactic of following someone from a bank or business to steal cash is called jugging.
A new Texas law, House Bill 1902, aims to crack down on the growing crime trend. Now, suspects are charged with burglary or robbery. But starting Sept. 1, jugging is its own crime, and can carry steeper penalties if the offense escalates.
The Source
Information in this article comes from Chris Robles and the Dallas Police Department.
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