A man already on parole for a bank robbery more than a decade ago is now accused of holding up a PNC Bank in Cypress, after investigators say surveillance footage and a license plate traced the crime back to his front door. Samuel Everrett Williams was taken into custody at his home, authorities said, and booked into the Harris County Jail in connection with last Friday's robbery.
Williams was arrested in connection with the October 23 robbery of the PNC Bank at 14213 Cypress Rose Hill Road, according to click2houston.com. Investigators said the suspect walked up to a teller and demanded cash, and it was unclear whether he had a weapon. He told the teller he had one and threatened to brandish it if she did not comply, the outlet reported.
The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, and the suspect then fled on foot in an unknown direction, the station noted in its initial report on the robbery. No one was hurt during the encounter, according to Fox 26 Houston.
Surveillance Video and a License Plate Cracked the Case
Investigators said surveillance footage and the vehicle's license plate helped connect the robbery to Williams. Fox 26 Houston reported that surveillance footage showed the suspect arriving and leaving the bank in a white Ford Crown Victoria, with the vehicle's license plate registered to an address in Hockley.
That lead reportedly carried the investigation from the crime scene to Williams's doorstep. Per the same account, surveillance video and the license plate led investigators from the PNC Bank on Cypress Rose Hill Road to a Hockley address, as reported by Space City Daily. Williams was ultimately taken into custody at his home by FBI Houston's Violent Crime Task Force, the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, and deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the station reported.
A Repeat Offender Still Serving Parole
What stood out to investigators, according to the reporting, was that Williams was already on parole for a prior bank robbery. Williams was out on parole for a 2012 bank robbery conviction at the time of the Cypress holdup, with parole scheduled to run until 2032, Fox 26 Houston reported.
As of the latest update, Williams has been booked into the Harris County Jail, officials said. According to ABC13 Houston, FBI Houston reported that Williams was arrested in connection with the bank robbery at the PNC Bank on Cypress Rose Hill Road. Details of the exact charges Williams now faces, along with any bond or court date, have not been released.
