Group of teens accused of robbery, luring out two victims with phony drug sale

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Authorities in Williamson County arrested six suspects connected to a robbery at a Cedar Park apartment complex where the victims were lured into a sale of non-existent THC cartridges.

According to police, the robbery occurred on Thursday, July 11 at 350 Cypress Creek Road near State highway 183. The victims told police they were going to a party to hang out and smoke weed when they were jumped. Investigators later learned the victims were there to buy THC cartridges.

The victims told police they were in contact with a man over Snapchat called Grayson, later identified as 17-year-old Grayson Parker. When they arrived the victims said they were met by someone downstairs at the apartment complex and led through a corridor to a garage where they were jumped by multiple men. They said during the attack the suspects threatened to shoot them.

According to police, the suspects stole a $180-valued wallet, a Cabelas gift card and $400 in cash. The victims were taken to the hospital, one with a broken nose and the other with a concussion.

Witnesses, who were at the scene, said they heard a commotion from inside their apartment and went outside and saw what they described as a group of men beating up two others. They said when the suspects saw them they ran up to the corner apartment.

One witness says she went down to the victims to help them and they were laying on the ground bleeding and crying. She said two of the suspects came back outside looking for a cell phone.

Police identified a man living at the apartment complex who told them he was throwing a party at his apartment the night of the robbery and many people including some he didn’t know showed up. He said Parker along with four others, Zachary Horne, 17, Rashaud Haynes, 18, Colton Rose, 17, and Bradley Caston, 17, planned to rob two men who believed they were coming over to buy THC cartridges. He told police Parker was the one who planned the robbery and to do it outside since he wanted no part of it.

According to investigators, the five suspects were joined by a sixth man identified as 17-year-old Zayin Mclaurin.

Police were able to make contact with each of the suspects except for Rose. Investigators said Haynes and Caston told them the robbery was Parker’s idea. Haynes denied attacking anyone while Caston admitted to punching and kicking the victims a few times.

In an interview with police, Parker said the others convinced him to reach out to the victims and that he was not part of the assault. He said the robbery was planned by Caston and a woman named Kate. Upon further investigation, police discovered there was no Kate.

Horne told police he thought the plan was only to intimidate the victims, but when they refused to give them the money a fight broke out. He also said Haynes had a BB gun in his pants. Police say Horne admitted to being part of the fight.

Mclaurin told investigators he also thought the plan was just to intimidate the victims. He said he was not part of the assault and tried to break up the fight.

All the suspects, Parker, Horne, Caston, Mclaurin, Haynes and Rose were arrested and face a charge of robbery with bodily injury.