RMC Robber Arrested
A man who robbed a student at the Rice Memorial Center on Tuesday, March 31 was arrested Thursday morning and charged with second-degree felony.
Antonio Jackson, 26, committed a misdemeanor theft at the University of Houston-Downtown last month and arrived in Harris County court Saturday morning for his hearing, where officials had him taken into custody. Jackson had an additional outstanding warrant for a similar robbery he committed March 19 at a METRORail station.
On Tuesday, Jackson had watched a student withdraw cash at the RMC and followed him to Miner Lounge, where he asked the student for money. Jackson implied he had a gun and a knife after the student offered to buy food for him. The student gave him $90 and was able to take photos of him as Jackson fled across campus and escaped in a truck.
Rice University Police Department Sergeant Gary Spears shared information about the robbery with other investigators in the region, including a METRO investigator. This prompted the investigators to connect the two robberies with a mug shot of Jackson from his UH arrest. The Rice student who had been robbed and another witness were able to identify Jackson as the subject and the district attorney released an arrest warrant by Wednesday morning.
“Teamwork was crucial to solving this case so quickly,” Rice Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead said. “Sgt. Spears was able to identify the suspect and secure an arrest warrant in less than 12 hours because of the cooperative network among local investigators and the witnesses who came forward after receiving our crime alert.”
More from The Rice Thresher
O’Rourke rallies students in Academic Quad
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas spoke in front of the Sallyport to a sea of sunglasses and “end gun violence” signs April 17. The rally, organized by Rice Young Democrats, took place in the academic quad from noon to 2 p.m.
Five international visas revoked at Rice
Federal authorities have revoked visas for five international affiliates at Rice — three current students and two recent graduates, President Reginald DesRoches announced in an April 11 message to campus. The revocations are “not related to social activism or protests,” a university spokesperson told the Thresher.
Modified Beer Bike races rescheduled to April 18
Beer Bike races have been rescheduled for April 18 at 5-8 p.m. The makeup event was announced in an email to Beer Bike captains, coordinators and stakeholders, from the campuswide coordinators and the Bike Captains Planning Committee.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.