Five People Attempt Pawn Shop Heist; 1 Dies, 4 Get Thrown in Jail

FORT WORTH, TX — Four people now face a capital murder charge as the result of an attempted pawn shop robbery that found two dead, the Star-Telegram reports.

Crystal Hendrix, the driver, Jensyn Polner, Micharl Ogden, and Melissa Pierce are all behind bars, one of which was actually arrested on a completely unrelated case, have all been charged in the aftermath of the crime. There’d be one more charged with murder, Brian Webb, if he hadn’t also gotten himself killed in the process.

They all conspired to commit a robbery against pawn shop owner Gary Duke, who was killed in the process.

According to the affidavit as reported by the Star-Telegram:

Pierce, who also goes by the last name of Carriera, had previously gone to the pawn shop to sell jewelry, so she was familiar with the store’s layout and that it had a safe.

Hendrix said the group had been smoking methamphetamine all that day. She drove the group in her Honda Odyssey van to the robbery, parking behind the store on the wrong side of the street. She stayed in the driver’s seat, leaving the van’s sliding door open.

During the robbery, Polner was the first to go to the door of the business because the suspects believed the owner would open the door for her “due to her being young and cute,” the affidavit states.

he was then to keep the shop’s door open while Webb and Ogden went inside to commit the robbery.

Polner told the investigators that as soon as the door was opened, Webb pushed her and Ogden out of the way and ran inside.

She said she assumed the store’s owner must have said no to the demand for money, and that Webb then fired multiple shots followed by the owner firing shots.

Ogden initially told investigators that they’d gone to the store to simply sell a watch and that Webb had pulled out his gun and shot after the owner went for his gun.

He later acknowledged to investigators that they’d been planning the robbery and had previously watched the store. He said the plan did not include, however, “smoking” the owner and that Webb was the only one armed with a gun.

Hendrix told investigators both Webb and Ogden had handguns, the affidavit states according to the Star-Telegram.

Eventually, Hendrix called police and told them that it was her van that was used in the robbery and that she had names. The pack of criminals didn’t last long thereafter.

It is very sad that the pawn shop owner was killed in the process, but the old Concealed Nation adage “never attempt to rob a pawn shop, it will go terribly” has been proven once again. Our hearts go out to the owner and his family. We wish the good guys never meet ends like this one.

What do you think about this story? Please share this on Facebook and Twitter and let us know!