From October 18 to November 15, 2022, Jerrell Mays committed 15 aggravated robberies in Dallas County across four different cities. In each offense, the defendant used a firearm to threaten convenience store employees, brandishing or sometimes firing the weapon to steal cash. Despite being only 18 years old at the time of the offenses, Mays was deliberate and calculated in his approach—he wore masks and clothing that he changed frequently, utilized different vehicles, and switched firearms while targeting various areas of the county, specifically convenience stores located near major roads and highways.
On November 15, 2022, Mays robbed a Mobil Gas Station on Ferguson Road in Dallas. During the robbery, he was wearing a mask and a distinctive colorful jacket while pointing a handgun at the clerk and demanding cash from the register. The clerk, thinking quickly, slammed the register shut and dove behind the bulletproof glass next to it. Mays tracked the clerk's movements and fired at him; the bullet ricocheted off the counter and struck the wall behind the clerk. After the shooting, Mays fled the scene.
Police arrived and reviewed surveillance video showing the suspect escaping, suggesting he might have a nearby safe house. DPD Intelligence Officers, who were actively monitoring Mays's social media, observed him wearing the distinctive jacket just hours before the robbery. They also located a known address for him on the same city block as the Mobil Gas Station. Following this lead, the lead detective obtained a search warrant for the address, where Mays was found, along with the distinctive jacket and several firearms.
During the punishment hearing, a sergeant from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, testified that Mays had committed six aggravated robberies in the suburbs of New Orleans, with those cases still pending at the time of the Dallas robberies. Additionally, an FBI Task Force Detective revealed that while in custody, Mays organized an attempted bank robbery.
On September 16, 2024, Mays was found guilty and sentenced to 47 years in prison.
Lead: Loren Collins
2nd Chair: Krystal Biggins
DA Investigator: Juan Carranza
Investigating Agencies: Dallas Police, Mesquite Police, Garland Police, Richardson Police & FBI
Special Thanks: Chris Cec for creating effective visual aids mapping out each offense
