ALubbock County grand jury on Tuesday returned indictments against two teenagers accused of stealing a $30,000 gold and diamond necklace during a strong-arm robbery in August at a South Plains Mall bathroom.
Izaiah Carson,18, and Kameron Collins, 19, each face a count of robbery, a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
Their charges stem from a Lubbock police investigation that began about 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 after officers responded to a robbery call involving two thieves at the South Plains Mall.
A teenage boy told police he was in one of the mall bathrooms where two people demanded the gold and diamond necklace he was wearing, according to court documents.
The teen said he initially refused but surrendered
the necklace out of fear when the men displayed handguns on their waistbands, the documents state. He said one of the robbers had a black and brown handgun and the other had a black and gray one, the documents state.
The chain was valued at $30,000, according to court documents.
Multiple members of the Texas Anti-Gang Unit also descended on the scene and established a perimeter near the south entrance of the mall before searching for the two robbers, whose descriptions were broadcast on the police radio.
The malls' security cameras reportedly captured one of the robbers, later identified as Carson, wearing a light gray hoodie, blue jeans, a white sleeveless shirt and white shoes while the other robber, later identified as Collins, wore a black hoodie, a purple back pack, torn jean shorts and white shoes, according to court documents.
Video from the mall's security cameras showed the thieves running away from the restroom heading east toward the mall's main corridors and exiting through the south entrance.
Still images of the robbers from the security camera footage were distributed to investigators one whom recognized them as Carson and Collins.
Investigators found Carson's social media account where he posted pictures of himself about an hour and 1/2 before the robbery wearing the same clothes as one of the robbers on the security camera video. The account also featured images of him posing with what appeared to be a black and brown firearm, which matched the description of the weapon with which the victim said he was threatened.
Carson was found Aug. 18 leaving a home in the 2900 block of 90th Street and was arrested without incident.
A search of the home yielded two brown BB gun replicas of a Glock 19, according to court documents.
Meanwhile, officers found Collins at his last known address, an apartment in the 5300 block of South Loop 289.
Both men were booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center. Their bonds were set at $100,000 each.
Jail records show Carson is no longer held at the jail.
Gabriel Monte is the criminal justice reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas. Have a news tip for him? Email him at gmonte@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock teens indicted in robbery at South Plains Mall bathroom
