THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 24, 1995 TAG: 9501240309
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Police have arrested two of three teenagers suspected in a string of robberies Saturday.
A third suspect is still at large.
An off-duty sheriff's deputy was assaulted by one of the teenagers after she tried to detain one of them in a Coastal Mart convenience store located in the 2900 block of Victory Blvd.
Both arrested teenagers - a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old - were charged with one count each of robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a minor, petty larceny of cigarettes and assault on a law enforcement officer. They were not identified because of their ages.
The 16-year-old also was charged with petty larceny of a pack of cigarettes the previous night at the same Coastal Mart Store that was robbed on Saturday.
Police spokesman G.A. Brown said an officer spotted the suspects' vehicle, a blue Jeep Cherokee, parked in the 400 block of McLean St. shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday.
The officer also saw three males who matched the description of the robbers sitting on a nearby porch. After he called for other police officers, the three were detained, Brown said.
Two of the three were later identified by victims.
The 17-year-old, of the 4100 block of Elliott Ave., was charged in the robbery of Latonya Barnes, 25, who was held up shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Food Lion grocery store in the 1900 block of Victory Blvd.
The 16-year-old, of the 400 block of McLean St., was charged with the robbery of Jeannie Akers, 46, who also was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Food Lion store in the 5600 block of Portsmouth Blvd. at 6:30 p.m.
In both cases, the victims were approached as they loaded groceries into their cars. After demanding money, the suspects drove away in the Jeep, Brown said.
Deputy Felicia Thomas, who was out of uniform, was shopping at the Coastal Mart store about 7:20 p.m. when three males entered the store.
Thomas was hit with a handgun after she tried to intervene in the robbery. She suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
Another woman reported to police that she was robbed by the same teenagers while she was at Chesapeake Square, police said.
The suspects apparently fled each scene in the Jeep, which was reported stolen Jan. 17 in Virginia Beach, police said. The teens arrested Sunday are being detained at the Tidewater Detention Home.
Police are looking for the third suspect. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 393-8536 or Crime Line at 488-7777.
KEYWORDS: JUVENILE ARREST ROBBERY by CNB