SAN ANTONIO – Three suspects were arrested by San Antonio Police Friday evening as the department cracks down on “jugging.”
Jugging is a form of theft in which criminals wait for people who are withdrawing money from a bank or an ATM, follow them and rob victims of that money.
San Antonio police walked three suspects before cameras on Friday evening. The suspects were identified as Dontrel Trayon Clark, 25; and Broderick Craig Graves, 25; and Jacoby Williams, 20.
Clark, Graves and Williams were individually charged with attempted theft of an amount greater than $25,000, which is considered a felony. All three will be booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
Police said the trio had been watching people walk out of a bank but did not disclose which bank or which side of town the alleged crimes took place.
According to police, the victim left the bank with an envelope in hand, arrived at a second unnamed location and left the envelope in their vehicle.
After the victim left their vehicle is when the trio attempted to break into the victim’s car.
An SAPD official said Friday that officers apprehended the suspects immediately.
“Each of those suspects were serial offenders,” SAPD public information officer Camelia Juarez said. “They had several previous theft charges. They have a system. They have a routine of operating.”
The department and its financial crimes investigators are working to minimize the number of jugging incidents by tracking individuals they believe are committing the crime.
If people happen to have a large sum of money in public, SAPD said they should take it with them and, if possible, hide it until they are in a safe place.