An employee at a Texas bank allegedly texted a “go signal” to a duo of thieves in order to launch a plot to steal $75,000 from a woman on Friday — a violent attempted robbery captured in shocking surveillance footage.
Shelby Taylor Wyse appeared in court Wednesday, the third person arrested in connection with the violent robbery at Wallis State Bank in Harris County, KTRK reported. Wyse faces a charge of second-degree robbery. Travonn Johnson, who is dating Wyse, and David Dowell Mitchell were also arrested in the case.
Wyse is accused of sending a message to tip off Johnson and Mitchell that a woman had withdrawn $75,000. The unidentified woman had gone to the bank to withdraw the cash for “legitimate business reasons,” officials said. Video shows the woman being followed by two thieves — identified by police as Johnson and Mitchell — from the bank to a gas station her family reportedly owned.
SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS THIEVES ATTEMPTING TO STEAL $75K FROM WOMAN BEFORE RUNNING HER OVER
Surveillance video showed Wyse watching the woman withdraw the cash, then send a text message to Johnson that officials believe was a “go signal.”
In another video, taken at the gas station, the thief cops say is Mitchell is seen attacking the woman and attempting to rip her purse away. The woman’s husband, who was in the store at the time, then runs out and attempts to stop the robbery.
It’s at this point, prosecutors say, Johnson arrived and began beating the couple. Officials say Johnson then got back into a car and ran over the couple before fleeing the scene — without the money.
Mitchell was arrested shortly after the robbery occurred. Johnson and Wyse were taken into custody earlier this week.
Johnson and Mitchell both face a charge of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Officials traced the license plate number of the car one of the thieves fled the gas station in and reportedly found it was a rental vehicle under Wyse’s name. She allegedly told officers the car was stolen Friday morning, but she’d never reported the incident. Prosecutors said they’re working to obtain a search warrant for Wyse’s phone.