Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 9, 1994 TAG: 9405090025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The incidents occurred about 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday in the lot between T.J. Maxx and Mac & Maggie's restaurant, Roanoke Detective Rick Moorer said.
He said two boys took a small amount of money from four youths in the first holdup. One of the boys had a semiautomatic handgun, which he showed the victims.
An hour later, the boys returned to the same area and approached five other teen-agers.
The second robbery attempt was foiled when one of the victims told the pair he also had a gun and would go to his car to retrieve it.
Moorer said that although this frightened the two enough to make them leave the scene, that victim came close to being shot. "[The gunman] racked a round into the gun like he was preparing to shoot. If it hadn't been for a couple that was passing by, that boy could have been shot."
One of the victims was able to get a license plate number from the boys' car. Moorer said Roanoke officer W.G. Boucher spotted the car several hours later at the Wal-Mart on Franklin Road and arrested the driver. Not long after, the other boy was found and arrested.
The youths, both 17, were taken to the juvenile detention center. Moorer said they will be charged with an extensive list of offenses, including nine counts each - one count for each victim - of armed robbery, unlawful use of a firearm and brandishing a firearm.
The names of the two juveniles were not released because of their age.
Moorer said he was pleasantly surprised that they apprehended two suspects after only about three hours.
A third suspect - an 18-year-old woman who the victims said stayed in the car during the robberies - is still under investigation.
by CNB