Three suspects have been charged in the New Year’s Eve armed robbery of Big G Grocery Store in Early according to Early Chief of Police David Mercer.  The 3 suspects from Elgin are believed to be involved in a string of similar robberies in that town as well.

According to Chief Mercer, a few days after the Big G robbery, detectives began talking with the Texas Ranger and detectives from Elgin comparing notes with a string of robberies that had occurred there. Elgin had some possible suspects but hadn’t been able to put the case together, Mercer said. Items of evidence from the Early robbery were compared with the Elgin robberies which all matched, according to Mercer.

On Friday January 16th, search warrants were executed at 2 houses in Elgin, and four suspects were taken into custody and charged with Aggravated Robbery and Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity after committing armed robberies in the Elgin area. On Monday, January 19th, warrants obtained by Early PD were served on 3 of the suspects who were connected to the Big G robbery, Mercer said.

Two of the suspects, 19-year-old Jackie Scott (pictured left) and 20-year-old Cody Williams (pictured right) both of Elgin, were charged with Aggravated Robbery. A 15-year-old male from Elgin is also charged with Aggravated Robbery in Brown County.

Detective Mike McCoy and Texas Ranger Jason Shea interviewed the individuals and were able to obtain confessions from 2 of the 3 individuals, Mercer said.  He said that police learned that the 15-year-old was the one who basically was organizing the robberies. They told detectives in their statements that on December 31st they were driving to Brownwood to pick up a 14-year-old female, and when they arrived in Early, they decided to rob the grocery store when they saw it, Mercer said. After the robbery, they went into Brownwood and picked up the female and then drove back to Elgin. Mercer said that the female had been staying with her dad for the holidays and they took her back to her house in Elgin.

The Early Police Department has been working closely with the Texas Rangers, the Elgin Police Department and the Bastrop County Sheriff’s office since the robbery at the Big G Grocery store on Early Blvd on December 31st.

Mercer said that there are still some unanswered questions and the investigation is continuing.

“I want to commend Detective Mike McCoy and Ranger Jason Shea for their hard work in getting this solved and getting these people off the street before someone got hurt,” Mercer said.