BEAUMONT, Texas — A 35-year-old Amarillo man who police said has been arrested 10 times in the state of Texas is set to be released from a hospital following a crime spree that began in Beaumont and ended in Lufkin after he was shot by police.
Jamelle Yantoine Parker was wounded by a Lufkin Police officer. After he was released from the hospital, Parker was taken to the Angelina County Jail and is now facing four felony charges.
He is charged with two counts of robbery (threaten or place in fear), one count of evading arrest detention with a motor vehicle and one count of aggravated assault against a public servant, according to jail records.
The spree began in Beaumont at 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the 7-11 convenience store at 501 Washington Boulevard. A woman told police a man threatened her while she was airing her tires and stole her tan Ford Expedition, according to a Beaumont Police Department release.
Police believe Parker also robbed the Criss-Cross convenience store at 350 MLK at midnight. He allegedly threatened a clerk and took off with an undisclosed amount of money.
After the convenience store robbery, Parker reportedly drove the stolen Ford through an entrance of Parkdale Mall at 1:15 a.m., according to the release. Police believe he stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise at two jewelry and perfume kiosks before driving away.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m., Parker allegedly wrecked the stolen Ford into Frank Avenue Big’s in Lufkin, according to a Lufkin Police Department release. After driving into the store, he reportedly threatened to kill the clerk and began robbing the store.
Lufkin Police believe after robbing the store, Parker left the stolen Ford and ran to a nearby Whataburger. He allegedly threatened to kill a drive-thru customer, grabbed the customer by the neck and stole his SUV, according to the release.
Police said in both incidents, Parker hinted at having a gun while reaching into his waistband.
An officer that initially responded to the gas station robbery arrived at Whataburger and witnessed the carjacking in progress, according to the release. The officer tried to stop the carjacking by blocking the drive-thru with his patrol vehicle.
Police said Parker began driving toward the officer, and the officer shot at him.
Even though the his legs were injured, he kept driving north on Loop 287 on the wrong side of the road with officers chasing him, according to the release.
Parker lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road into a tree line off Allen Gin Road at the Loop 287/U.S. 69 underpass. Police then took him into custody without further incident.
Officers applied a tourniquet to his injury before Lufkin Fire took him to an area hospital. Parker was later taken to a different hospital for further treatment and is expected to be OK.
The officer involved in the shooting was not injured.
After searching the Ford that was stolen in Beaumont an wrecked in Lufkin, police found sales tags that had been removed from jewelry, according to the release. Parker was also reportedly wearing a large amount of gold jewelry at the time of his arrest.
Parker has been arrested 10 times in the state of Texas on offenses including two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault against an elderly individual, burglary of a habitation, burglary of a vehicle, criminal trespass, evading arrest, and prohibited substance in a correctional facility, according to the release.
He was released from prison early on a 15-year sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is currently on parole. Parker's parole was set to end on July 1, 2026.
Lufkin Police will notify his parole officer of his new offenses
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