Pearland Police Arrest Two in Bank "Jugging" Case

Pearland Police Arrest Two in Bank "Jugging" CaseOn October 14, 2026, Pearland police were called to a business on the 2500 block of Pearland Parkway after a woman's car was broken into. Earlier that day, she had visited a bank in Houston, where she noticed a gray Nissan Pathfinder parked next to her car and a woman going in and out of the bank. After she drove to Pearland, a witness saw a man in a gray sweatsuit and face covering get out of a gray SUV and break into her car. Police say this is a crime called "jugging," where suspects watch people at banks, follow them, and then break into their cars to steal cash or valuables.A Pearland Police crime analyst used Flock license plate reader cameras to identify the suspect vehicle, a gray Nissan Pathfinder with a California temporary tag. The cameras spotted the SUV near Baybrook Mall, and detectives found it heading north on Interstate 45. They followed it to a bank near Edgebrook Drive in Houston, where they watched the Pathfinder follow a Dodge Ram to another bank near Harrisburg Boulevard. There, the people inside the SUV removed their license plates. A man then got out, smashed the Dodge Ram's window, and searched the truck while its owner was inside the bank.Officers from Pearland, the Houston Police Department, and Harris County Precinct 2 Constables quickly surrounded the vehicle and arrested the man and the woman driving. The suspects, Charles Randle and Crystal Lewis, both of Houston, are charged with jugging, a third-degree felony, in both Brazoria and Harris counties. Pearland police are reminding residents to pay attention to their surroundings when banking, keep valuables out of sight, and report anything suspicious.