HOUSTON -- Houston police are asking for the public’s help to catch a gang of armed robbers investigators are calling the Super Bowl Bandits.
That’s because while millions of people watched the Saints beat the Colts on Super Bowl Sunday the group was committing armed robberies in Sharpstown, police said.
Investigators said some of the suspects are members of the notorious MS-13 Gang. In one hour, the group held-up people at five different apartment complexes near Sharpstown Mall, HPD said.
Sgt. Darrell Dufee said most of the victims are Spanish-speaking immigrants.
“Simply because they are prime targets. They don’t use credit cards or checkbooks,” he said. “Most of their transactions are done out of their pocket.”
The last robbery on Super Bowl Sunday occurred at a townhome complex on Harbor Town. When the suspects tried to leave they pulled up to the gate, but it wouldn’t open. You have to have a remote to get out, and with the victims on their phones calling 911, the suspects panicked, abandoned their vehicle and took off running, police said.
Detectives said they were able to trace the red Toyota Tundra truck left behind back to a man whose stepson has been identified as a suspect.
Alvaro Mendoza, 22, was picked up late Monday and charged with the crimes. He is a documented member of MS-13, investigators said.
“Once we recovered the getaway vehicle we not only recovered a lot of evidence, but a lot of stolen property in there also,” Dufee said.
After Mendoza's arrest police said they figured out the same suspects committed at least three more robberies in the area.
Investigators said they believe Mendoza is the ring leader, but he's not talking.
He won't tell police the names of the other robbers.
“We are lucky we have arrested and charged this man and we are looking for information on who his colleagues may be,” Dufee said.
HPD said it believes the group committed many more robberies investigators don't know about yet.
