Two charged shortly after Galveston bank robbery

GALVESTON

Two men were charged Tuesday afternoon in connection with an armed bank robbery that occurred just after noon at Texas First Bank, 6501 Stewart Road.

Tremaine Venters, 25, and Jordan Johnson, 27, both were charged with aggravated robbery, Galveston police spokesman Capt. Joshua Schirard said.

Both were being held on bonds of $250,000 each, he said. 

No shots were fired at the bank and no one was injured during the robbery, police said. The men were in and out of the bank building in less than two minutes, Schirard said.

Bank employees called police after the men left the bank, Schirard said.

Officers acting on witness information had taken positions on the outbound side of the causeway shortly after the robbery was reported, Schirard said.

Those officers spotted a vehicle matching the description of one used in the robbery traveling at a high rate of speed and began following it, he said. 

Once another police unit joined the chase, the officers activated their lights and sirens and the suspect vehicle pulled over near Exit 13 on Interstate 45, Schirard said. The men surrendered peacefully, Schirard said.

Officers searched the vehicle and found a handgun and a large amount money, he said.

Police did not say how much money was taken from the bank. Schirard said the department did not want to "glamorize" bank robberies.

Galveston officers also learned that Venters was sought on two warrants — a robbery warrant from the Houston Police Department in connection with a previous bank robbery and a bond forfeiture warrant for drug-related charges from Fort Bend County, Schirard said.      

Customers attempting to enter the bank Tuesday afternoon found a paper sign that said "Due to an emergency situation the bank is closed and will reopen in the morning." 

Texas First Bank President and CEO Christopher Doyle was at the scene of the robbery on Tuesday afternoon. He declined to comment about the incident, citing the ongoing police investigation.

The robbery does not appear connected to a spate of armed robberies that have occurred in Galveston since December, Schirard said. Last week, the police department announced the arrest of seven people, including three juveniles, in connection to nine robberies that occurred on the island over the last month.

Those people were working in groups, apparently independent of each other, and appeared to be targeting convenience stores and gas stations.