ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Another teen has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery that occurred at a Lowe’s grocery store last August. Maria Nava, 17, has been charged with Aggravated Robbery. 

According to court documents, on August 26, deputies with the Ector County Sheriff’s Office were called to a Lowe’s grocery store on W University Boulevard after a woman was robbed in the parking lot. At the scene, deputies met with the victim who said she was exiting the store when two men approached her, held a gun to her stomach, and stole her purse.

A witness to the robbery tried to intervene but told investigators that he backed off when the suspects turned the gun on him. He did, however, get a partial license plate number for the vehicle used to leave the scene.

A short time later, ECSO and troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety saw the suspect vehicle north of Odessa and conducted a traffic stop. Three people were detained during the stop, including a juvenile witness, Nava, and a suspect, later identified as 17-year-old De’Andre Shephard.

Shephard was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the robbery. He has remained in custody since his arrest on a $100,000 bond. 

Shephard reportedly admitted to his involvement and identified the other suspect as 18-year-old Daniel Rodriguez Jr. Rodriguez was arrested on September 1 after he and another juvenile were allegedly caught driving a stolen vehicle that crashed near Kermit Highway and W University.

Rodriguez has been charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Aggravated Robbery in connection with the incident at Lowe’s. He’s also been charged with two counts of Evading Arrest and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. He was released from custody on September 6 on a combined $154,000 bond.

Following the arrest of Shephard, the juvenile witness and Nava were also taken to the Sheriff’s Office for questioning, but they were released without being charged. Then, on August 29, investigators obtained security video from the grocery store and learned that Nava knew the robbery was going to take place, watched as it happened, and then helped the suspects by driving them away from the scene in the “getaway” vehicle, documents stated. 

A warrant for Nava’s arrest was issued on September 8 and she was taken into custody on October 19. Nava remained in the Ector County Law Enforcement Center as of Monday afternoon on a $75,000 bond.