Tyler Police investigating string of Saturday morning robberies

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A suspect is in custody following a string of morning robberies in East Texas.

The robbery calls started at 6:28 Saturday morning. First, the Exxon gas station at Loop 323 and Kinsey was robbed. Two additional Exxon stations, at the 5000 block of South Broadway and near Troup Highway at Loop 323, were robbed after that Saturday morning. Fifteen minutes after those robberies, the Shipley’s Donuts on 5th Street was robbed.

According to a press release, the suspect has been identified as Michael Edward Lout, 56. LouAnn Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Tyler Police Department, said he will be charged with four counts of aggravated robbery.

Campbell said Lout used a knife in all the robberies and that he acted alone.

After the robberies, the Tyler Police Department got a vehicle description and a partial plate number, a press release stated. All surrounding law enforcement agencies were notified.

According to Tyler Police Sgt. Adam Colby, police were able to surround a male suspect at a Phillips 66 station parking lot at the intersection of University Boulevard and Loop 323, after a UT Tyler police officer first spotted him walking up to the store at about 6:58 a.m. The man and his vehicle matched the description from the robberies.

The officer held the suspect at gunpoint until Tyler police arrived.

“Detectives and crime scene investigators were called to the scene,” a press release stated. “A search warrant was obtained to search Lout’s vehicle. During the investigation, officers recovered an unspecified amount of cash.”

Police obtained a warrant for Lout’s arrest, and he was taken to the Smith County Jail. His collective bond amount was set at $1.2 million.

KLTV-KTRE will continue to follow this developing situation and report additional details as they are available.

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