Teen arrested in string of Subway robberies across east Harris County

A high school student accused of hitting Subway restaurants across east Harris County at least 10 times was arrested after detectives linked a suspect vehicle to a Sunday robbery in the 12600 block of Woodforest Boulevard near Normandy Street. Investigators say 18-year-old Devion Williams was taken into custody during a traffic stop and booked into the Harris County Jail after deputies tracked the car and moved in.

The case matters well beyond one fast-food counter. Detectives with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Robbery Unit say the same vehicle showed up at multiple armed robberies targeting Subway locations in east Harris County, suggesting a pattern that had been stretching across neighborhood shopping corridors. A second suspect, described as a passenger in the car, ran on foot and remained at large.

KHOU reported that Williams may be responsible for at least 10 robberies at Subway stores, and its video update said he allegedly confessed to robbing one store four times. That turns the case into more than a routine arrest: it points to repeated pressure on workers, franchise owners and nearby businesses that depend on evening and late-night foot traffic. For small operators, each robbery can mean more than cash losses. It can mean higher security bills, shorter hours, staffing changes and employees who do not feel safe closing up after dark.

The break came after the Subway on Woodforest Boulevard was hit again on Sunday, giving detectives a fresh lead. Investigators tracked the vehicle, alerted patrol officers to its direction of travel and watched as deputies stopped it. ABC13 reported that the same suspect and vehicle had already been tied to earlier incidents, and that the arrest came after the Sunday robbery in the 12600 block of Woodforest Boulevard.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, founded in 1837, says it is the largest sheriff’s office in Texas and the third-largest in the nation, with nearly 5,100 employees serving more than 4.1 million residents. The size of the agency underscores how quickly a string of robberies can draw major law-enforcement resources when one suspect appears to be moving from store to store across east Harris County.

Investigators are still working to identify the passenger who fled and to determine whether Williams is tied to every robbery in the series. Anyone with information can contact the HCSO Violent Crimes Unit at 713-274-9365 or Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).