KATY, Texas – A group of young teens are being tied to a string of robberies in the Katy area, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
This group, all 15 years old and under, is different from the group of teens accused of committing multiple robberies on Houston’s Northside.
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In the Katy area, the teens committed five armed robberies over the span of two days.
“It’s disturbing, and it should set off alarm bells for law enforcement, for public and elected officials that something is going on,” said Andy Kahan, director of victim’s services at Crime Stoppers Houston.
According to HCSO, between May 6 and May 7, one 15-year-old and four 13-year-olds robbed four convenience stores and a restaurant in Katy.
In each of these robberies, the juvenile suspects pulled out guns, violently assaulted the victims, and stole cash from the businesses.
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The crimes took place in the area of Katy Fort Bend Road, Kingsland Boulevard, with the bulk of them happening on Mason Road.
“It was almost unheard of, but now it seems to be routine,” Kahan said.
A total of 27 charges were filed against the five juvenile suspects, including aggravated robbery and engaging in organized crime.
The teens were booked into the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center.
Teen robberies increasing
Kahan expressed concern over the climbing number of juvenile robberies.
“We looked at over 90, and that’s just so far in 2025, that’s just in Harris County,” he stated.
But why are teenagers becoming more violent and brazen?
“A lot of them, for whatever reason, seem to believe they can get away with it,” Kahan explained. “Even if they’re caught and convicted, they’ll do a little bit of time in juvenile detention, and it’s debatable whether you’ll be sent on to adult prison or not. I don’t know if that’s the driving force or not, but I think it’s something that we need to get a grip on, and we need to realize that this is happening and it’s happening more frequently.”
