FACTS FIRST

OKLAHOMA CITY — All three men arrested after a car burglary outside a south Oklahoma City Lowe's this week are from Houston, Texas, according to the Oklahoma City Police Department. Police say they believe the men are affiliated with a Houston-based criminal street gang linked to similar "jugging" cases in Oklahoma City and surrounding jurisdictions.

What happened

At about noon on Wednesday, Oct. 28, OKCPD responded to a reported auto burglary at the Lowe's near I-240 and Santa Fe Avenue. Police say the victim had just made a banking transaction before stopping at the store. While the victim was inside, someone broke a window of the vehicle and took cash left inside.

OKCPD says it treated the case as a jugging incident, a crime in which suspects watch people leave a bank or other financial institution and then target them for cash.

How police found them

According to OKCPD, investigators reviewed surveillance cameras from the area to identify a suspect vehicle, then used automatic license plate readers and CCTV systems to locate it. Officers made a traffic stop, took three people into custody, and recovered cash during a search of the vehicle.

Who was arrested

OKCPD identified the three men as:

• Jalen Gross, 32, of Houston, Texas
• Dennis Earl, 42, of Houston, Texas
• Datavien Arvie, 22, of Houston, Texas

All three were booked on complaints of third-degree burglary (Burglary III) and conspiracy to commit a felony. Police say a judge authorized bonds of $100,000 for each. Oklahoma County Detention Center records show all three were booked around 6 p.m. on Oct. 28.

A note on Earl's name: Police released his name as Dennis Earl, 42. The Oklahoma County jail roster lists him as Johnathan Earl Thomas. The jail record carries the same case number, MI-2026-1152.

Additional jail charges

According to Oklahoma County jail records, Earl faces two additional charges under a separate case, TMP64050: bringing a weapon, drugs or alcohol into the jail, and distribution of a controlled substance (possession with intent). Those charges add $3,000 to his bond. They were not mentioned in the police release. The charges are allegations.

Court records

Oklahoma County District Court records on OSCN show a criminal miscellaneous case opened Oct. 29 for each man (MI-2026-1152, Earl; MI-2026-1153, Arvie; MI-2026-1154, Gross). The Arvie record lists an affidavit and application for arrest warrant and a warrant issued with $100,000 bond. As of this update, no formal criminal charges (a CF felony case) appear on OSCN for any of the three. An arrest or booking is not a conviction, and all three are presumed innocent.

Police safety tip

OKCPD encourages residents not to leave cash, firearms, purses, wallets or other valuables inside unattended vehicles. People who have just made a banking transaction should stay aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to police right away.

Sources: Oklahoma City Police Department news release, Oct. 29, 2026; Oklahoma County Detention Center inmate records; Oklahoma State Courts Network (OSCN). Media contact: OKCPD Media Relations, (405) 297-1111.