Police arrested two people and are searching for two more in connection with a theft at a Stripes in Weslaco last week, police Chief Joel Rivera announced during a press conference Thursday.

At about 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 18, officers responded to an aggravated robbery call at the Stripes on 725 South Texas Boulevard.

When officers arrived, they noticed two people standing outside a vehicle in the alleyway. The two people, identified as Herminia Juanita Cortez and Ricardo Jaimez Rodriguez, were detained.

Police say Cortez and Rodriguez committed the aggravated robbery and made threats to the clerk, identified as Edward Sanchez. During the investigation, officers learned that Sanchez, who called 911, was part of the robbery.

"Essentially what happened at the Stripes convenience store was an inside job, as the clerk of the convenience store was a part of the organized criminal activity," Rivera said. "They had planned to steal the safe and the content of the safe, move it out, and be able to leave. They were unprepared for the immediate response of the Weslaco Police Department and I think that was a big part of us being able to arrive at this point."

Two other people were spotted walking down the block during the incident. The responding officers identified the two individuals as Maxine Cortez, 53, and a juvenile, who was not identified by police.

Herminia Cortez was charged with theft of property, a state jail felony; engaging in organized crime, a third-degree degree felony; and failure to identify, a Class B misdemeanor. Rodriguez was charged with theft of property, a state jail felony, and engaging in organized crime, a third-degree felony.

The Stripes clerk, Edward Sanchez, is wanted by the Weslaco Police Department and is accused of theft of property, a state jail felony, and engaging in organized crime, a third-degree felony.

Maxine Cortez, is also wanted by the Weslaco Police Department and is accused of theft of property, a state jail felony, and engaging in organized crime, a third-degree felony. Both Sanchez and Maxine Cortez have warrants for their arrests. T

hose with any information on their whereabouts, please contact the Weslaco Crime Stoppers at 956-968-8477.

We will be live on this article, as well as our KRGV Facebook page.