An arrest a year and a half in the making after the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said two suspects were targeting Douglas County to commit crimes. “They drove 897 miles to Omaha, Nebraska, to Douglas County to commit crimes, probably thinking no one would be able to find them,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said. But the sheriff’s office did find them.”Just really took a lot of time to follow the breadcrumbs and put it all together,” investigator Kayleigh Pigsley said. Back in August 2024, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was looking for information about a brazen attack. “There was a mom who was robbed in her own driveway. They stole her Louis Vuitton purse, they stole her bank bag and they stole her engagement ring,” Sheriff Aaron Hanson said. Hanson said the suspects were staking out banks and followed the victim home. “We had a vehicle description, but it had no plate,” Hanson said. Pigsley said the suspects took off their plate before entering and leaving the state, but that did not stop them from eventually finding a plate number. Hanson said the use of license plate readers and the Omaha Police Department’s Real Time Operation Center led them to crack the case. “That was huge for us to be able to identify the vehicle, and then we requested reports from our partners down in Texas,” Pigsley said. “That is truly kind of what blew the case wide open after we identified that vehicle.” Pigsley’s team subpoenaed cellphone data. “We believe from their intentions and their travel patterns, we had them sitting on different banks in main corridors in Omaha, and we could see them sitting in bank parking lots for 20, 30, 40 minutes at a time,” Pigsley said. Hanson said the group drove hundreds of miles north to specifically target Omaha. “We believe this is a crime group that, that specifically travels from Texas around the Midwest to focus on banks and ATM machines in order to find their victims,” Hanson said. One of the suspects, Marquel Penny, 21, was extradited to Douglas County from Houston in October. Hanson said he was charged with two felonies and then released on bond. He is required to wear an ankle monitor. The other suspect, 19-year-old Brad Fokam, is still in Texas. Authorities say he will first face unrelated charges in Texas before being brought to Douglas County. The DCSO is still looking for two additional suspects. “We want to make sure that we’re sending a message not only to the innocent moms in Douglas County that, that we’re going to pursue these guys relentlessly until they’re in custody, we also want to send a message to those crime groups: Don’t waste your time coming to Douglas County,” Hanson said. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Neb. —

An arrest a year and a half in the making after the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said two suspects were targeting Douglas County to commit crimes.

“They drove 897 miles to Omaha, Nebraska, to Douglas County to commit crimes, probably thinking no one would be able to find them,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.

But the sheriff’s office did find them.

“Just really took a lot of time to follow the breadcrumbs and put it all together,” investigator Kayleigh Pigsley said.

Back in August 2024, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was looking for information about a brazen attack.

“There was a mom who was robbed in her own driveway. They stole her Louis Vuitton purse, they stole her bank bag and they stole her engagement ring,” Sheriff Aaron Hanson said.

Hanson said the suspects were staking out banks and followed the victim home.

“We had a vehicle description, but it had no plate,” Hanson said.

Pigsley said the suspects took off their plate before entering and leaving the state, but that did not stop them from eventually finding a plate number.

Hanson said the use of license plate readers and the Omaha Police Department’s Real Time Operation Center led them to crack the case.

“That was huge for us to be able to identify the vehicle, and then we requested reports from our partners down in Texas,” Pigsley said. “That is truly kind of what blew the case wide open after we identified that vehicle.”

Pigsley’s team subpoenaed cellphone data.

“We believe from their intentions and their travel patterns, we had them sitting on different banks in main corridors in Omaha, and we could see them sitting in bank parking lots for 20, 30, 40 minutes at a time,” Pigsley said.

Hanson said the group drove hundreds of miles north to specifically target Omaha.

“We believe this is a crime group that, that specifically travels from Texas around the Midwest to focus on banks and ATM machines in order to find their victims,” Hanson said.

One of the suspects, Marquel Penny, 21, was extradited to Douglas County from Houston in October.

Hanson said he was charged with two felonies and then released on bond. He is required to wear an ankle monitor.

The other suspect, 19-year-old Brad Fokam, is still in Texas.

Authorities say he will first face unrelated charges in Texas before being brought to Douglas County.

The DCSO is still looking for two additional suspects.

“We want to make sure that we’re sending a message not only to the innocent moms in Douglas County that, that we’re going to pursue these guys relentlessly until they’re in custody, we also want to send a message to those crime groups: Don’t waste your time coming to Douglas County,” Hanson said.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |