Baytown police says it started as a report of shoplifting at a Sears department store and ended up in a deadly crash at the intersection of Garth and Rollingbrook. The victims of that crash, a 17-year-old and 16-year-old, had nothing to do with the crime.
The suspects have been identified as Jennifer Jenkins and Shannon Joe Chauncey, and police say Sterling High School students Shawn Williams and Shay Hollingshead are the two innocent teenagers who were caught in the middle.
"It's sad, it's very sad," said Chloe File, who knows the victims.
Officer say on Friday night, a woman at Sears reportedly stole pillows and a comforter, and got into a gray Ford truck driven by a man. The truck was spotted leaving the scene and pulling into the parking lot of a nearby Academy store.
Police detectives located the empty truck in the parking lot, entered the Academy and found the two suspects inside. The detective reportedly witnessed Jenkins shoplifting merchandise in that store, and Chauncey then pulled the truck up to meet her at the front of the store.
As Jenkins exited the store, allegedly with unpaid for merchandise, detectives blocked the Ford from leaving with their vehicles. As detectives exited their vehicles to make arrests, Chauncey forcefully backed into a police vehicle, causing damage and narrowly missing an officer before speeding out of the parking lot, police say.
Marked police units pursued the fleeing truck south on Garth Road for about 2.5 miles. Then Chauncey struck the teens' car and a truck at the intersection of Garth Road and Rollingbrook.
The teens' car burst into flames. Witnesses tell us it was scary seeing such a bad wreck.
"We saw the LifeFlight landing, the ambulance and the cars, and they were putting people in the ambulance and LifeFlight. I was like oh my gosh," witness Morgan Massey said.
Williams, 16, did not survive the wreck. He was the passenger in the car.
"It's heartbreaking 'cause he had his whole life ahead of him and he can't even experience that now," Williams' friend Kelsie Walsinghan said.
Hollingshead was transported via LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition. We're told his injuries are pretty serious but he is expected to recover with enough time given.
Friends tell us they are mourning the loss of a good friend and hoping Hollingshead recovers.
"Pray for Shay, pray for Shay's family, pray for Shawn's family," Williams' friend Meagan Briggs said. "It's tragic that Shawn had passed away at such a young age, and I know his family must be going through tons of grief."
Friends of the two teens say Williams was always a joy to be around.
"He was a happy person, the last person he ever thought about was himself. He put everyone in front of himself," Walsinghan said.
After the wreck, Baytown police say the two suspects jumped out of the truck and tried to run. They were caught after a short foot chase and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Police say two adults who were in the other vehicle Chauncey struck also were hurt but their injuries were minor.
Chauncey, 43, is facing charges of evading arrest resulting in death and evading arrest resulting in serious bodily injury. Jenkins, 35, is facing charges of evading, theft and possession of a controlled substance.
