The Austin Police Department made a significant bust in the realm of jugging-related crime this past Friday, successfully apprehending two suspects in a carefully coordinated sting operation. According to information provided on the APD website, a multi-divisional task force, which included the Robbery Unit, Organized Crime Division, SWAT, North Metro Tactical Unit, and Crime Analysis Unit, conducted the operation around 11 a.m. at a location known for such offenses.
Utilizing analytical data to predict potential targets, undercover officers didn’t have to wait long to observe suspicious behavior. Within minutes of arriving at a bank on 11300 North Lamar Boulevard, officers spotted a Toyota pickup truck believed to rapidly follow a customer who had just made a withdrawal. The vehicle, consistent with the modus operandi of previous jugging incidents, was tracked to a nearby parking lot where the crime swiftly unfolded.
As detailed in the APD's public statement, the crime transpired when the suspects, after shadowing the unsuspecting owner of a newly filled envelope, capitalized on a moment of distraction. With the victim's focus elsewhere, a suspect infiltrated the unattended vehicle and secured their illicit haul—an envelope brimming with $8,000 in cash, a bank card, and an ID. Authorities wasted no moments to then initiate a stop and arrest the perpetrators, subsequently identified as Brandon Lee Wright and Marquise Keyon Collins.
Both Wright and Collins face charges of Felony Theft in light of the sum they attempted to secretly abscond with. Thankfully, due to the timely intervention of the APD, the victim's property was recovered and returned. The Austin Police Department urges locals to remain vigilant regarding their bank withdrawals and advises against leaving sums of cash unattended inside vehicles—a safeguard especially pertinent during the festive season.
