On January 4, 2025, at approximately 3:38 p.m., officers with the Sealy Police Department were dispatched to the Super 8 Motel, located at 267 Gebhardt Road in Sealy, in response to a reported aggravated robbery.
According to investigators, the victim had arranged to meet with an individual regarding an item listed for sale online. During the encounter, the victim was allegedly robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of the hotel.
Under Texas law, aggravated robbery is a more serious form of robbery that involves additional dangerous circumstances. A person may be charged with aggravated robbery if, during the commission of a theft, they threaten or injure another person while using or displaying a deadly weapon, causing serious bodily injury, or targeting an elderly or disabled victim.
Following an investigation, detectives identified DeShawn Williams as the suspect in the case and obtained an arrest warrant. Williams was taken into custody on January 7, 2025, and remained in the Austin County Jail while awaiting trial.
On June 2, 2026, Williams accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The case serves as a reminder for residents to use caution when conducting online marketplace transactions. Law enforcement officials encourage the public to utilize designated โSafe Exchange Zones,โ such as the monitored spaces located at the Sealy Police Department, when meeting strangers to buy or sell items. If a designated โSafe Exchange Zoneโ is not available, meet in a well-lit, highly public location.
The Sealy Police Department expressed appreciation to the officers, investigators, prosecutors, and partner agencies who assisted in the case. Officials stated that the sentence reflects the ongoing commitment of law enforcement and the criminal justice system to holding violent offenders accountable and helping protect the community.
