Technology Helps Baytown and Pasadena Police Capture Armed Robbery Suspects

On Saturday, May 18, 2024, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Baytown Police Department, in partnership with Pasadena Police Department, arrested two females involved in an armed robbery incident in Pasadena. The arrests were facilitated by Flock Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology.

The suspects were located in a silver 2019 Ford Fiesta at a gas station in the 1700 block of N. Main St., Baytown. The driver, Koryne Rodriguez, 33, of Baytown, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1, a second-degree felony, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a third-degree felony. Rodriguez, with two prior aggravated robbery convictions, multiple other convictions, and out on bond for two misdemeanors, attempted to flee but was apprehended after a high-risk traffic stop and a K9 unit’s intervention.

The passenger, Angelica Martinez, 38, of Cedar Park, complied with officers’ commands and was charged with Public Intoxication.

Officers found a pistol, marijuana, crystal and white powdery substances, unknown pills, a digital scale, several debit and credit cards, cash, empty handbags, and spent shell casings in the vehicle. No officers were injured during the incident, and Rodriguez received medical treatment for her injuries.

Records indicate that utilizing the Flock Automated License Plate Reader system, Baytown Police Department officers were able to locate the suspects in this armed robbery within 45 minutes of the offense occurring. The information provided by the Pasadena Police Department and the Flock ALPR system was used to notify area law enforcement officers in a timely manner of locations in which the suspect vehicle had been observed, and allowed officers to safely and quickly locate the vehicle, putting a stop to the suspects’ flight from arrest.

Chief Stringer states, “Technology, such as Flock Safety, is an important element of the Baytown Police Department’s Violent Crime Initiative, which acts as a force multiplier to assist the efforts of our hardworking professional practitioners of police services in serving and protecting the people of Baytown. The judicious use of this technology in an ethically sound manner is key in helping us make Baytown the safest city in Harris County.”