Tyler Vape Shop Robbery Leads to Two Arrests

Two men are now facing armed robbery charges after they allegedly stole $45,000 in merchandise from a Tyler, Texas vape shop. According to CBS 19, 24-year-old Isiah Howard and 24-year-old Tiylor Green are both facing multiple charges including aggravated robbery, unlawful restraint and interference with an emergency request for assistance in connection with a reported robbery at Tyler Smoke Shop on Gentry Parkway last month.

What Happened During the Tyler Robbery

Police arrested Howard in Mesquite on June 8 and he was booked into the Dallas County Jail with bonds totaling more than $2.6 million. Green was taken into custody on July 16 on bonds totaling $770,000 and he was taken to the Gregg County Jail.

According to court documents, employees at the smoke shop reported that three men robbed them at gunpoint on June 5, took the phone a woman was using to call 911 and stole a significant amount of merchandise and cash.

What Was Stolen From the Smoke Shop

The men took an iPhone 17, $3,000 in cash, $12,000 worth of THCA flower, $10,000 in pre-rolls, $700 worth of cigars and cigarillos, and $15,000 worth of kratom. The total loss is approximately $45,000.

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How Flock Cameras Helped Track the Suspects

A camera at the business captured the license plate of the truck the suspects used to flee the scene. Using Flock cameras, Tyler police officers were able to determine where the vehicle had traveled before the robbery. A license plate search identified the vehicle and officers located it in the Dallas area around 10:30 p.m. on June 5.

When Howard was arrested in Mesquite at a hotel, investigators found items commonly sold in vape shops in both his vehicle and the hotel room. Other vapes and related products were found after he was arrested. The tattoos on Howard's face and neck appeared to match those from surveillance footage.

Howard was identified as a frequent customer of the shop and the man who pointed a gun at one of the victims.

A search of Howard's phone connected investigators to Green; police say they were communicating hours before the robbery. There was an email contact that linked to the third suspect who is believed to have taken the woman's phone and helped load the stolen merchandise into large trash bags during the robbery.

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