Arrests Made in Cedar Park Bank Robbery

CEDAR PARK, TX — Police have rounded up six people suspected in a string of bank robberies stretching into Houston — including a recent heist at a bank branch inside a Cedar Park Walmart store — officials announced on Monday.

The local incident dates to Sunday, Jan. 19, around 2:30 p.m. when officers responded to a report of a robbery at the Woodforest National Bank inside Walmart at 201 Walton Way, police said. Police said two suspects entered the bank and told employees to get on the ground before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash. Video surveillance showed a third suspect in the Walmart moments prior to the robbery, police said.

Descriptions of the suspects and the getaway vehicle were immediately sent to nearby law enforcement agencies and police departments statewide, according to officials. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was also contacted to work with police.

As a result of a joint effort with the FBI Houston/FBI Austin Violent Crimes Task Forces, six people later were identified and taken into custody on January 30, according to Cedar Park Police officials. It is believed the group committed several robbery crimes in the region including four in Houston and the case in Cedar Park, officials said.

One of the suspects in the Cedar Park case was identified as Eric Ellison Haywood, police said. Another suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Henry Joseph Smith. The two men are charged federally in the Southern District of Texas for 18 USC 2113 (a) Bank Robbery, police said.

Police provided a description of the third suspect they dubbed as ‘Phillyon’ in a press advisory:

• Dark skin;
• six foot, one inch tall of thin build;
• late 20’s, early 30’s in age;
• beard described as "messy";
• short dreadlocks.

Those with information regarding this individual and/or his whereabouts are asked to contact Detective Michele Langham at (512) 260-4802.

Local police took the time to thank those who assisted in the investigation: "The Cedar Park Police Department would like to thank the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI Houston and FBI Austin Violent Crimes Task Forces for their assistance in this case."