THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 1996 TAG: 9602130254
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE MATHER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Police have arrested a mother and son on charges of robbing the same McDonald's twice, and authorities said the son is part of a ring that targeted the chain.
Police said the mother, Blythenia Weatherspoon, 44, provided the gun and shared in the loot, although she wasn't present when her son, 19-year-old Quirin, twice robbed the McDonald's near Lynnhaven Parkway and Holland Road.
Investigators said Quirin Weatherspoon, accompanied by other suspects, also robbed two other McDonald's and two convenience stores during a spree that began Dec. 13 and ended Saturday. During the first robbery of McDonald's, an employee was shot but not seriously injured.
The two convenience stores were robbed just 17 minutes apart, police said. In at least some of the cases, the robbers wore masks, investigators said.
The arrests were made after Saturday's McDonald's robbery.
Early Saturday morning, two employees standing outside were forced into the store at gunpoint. Two robbers took money from the store and left.
An employee told police he thought he recognized the voice of one of the robbers. The employee told police he thought the robber might be a former co-worker.
Officer David A. Keisel checked out the lead and it took him to the Weatherspoon home in the 3500 block of Olympia Drive, where the officer saw a car that resembled the getaway vehicle in another robbery, police said.
After further investigation, the mother and son were arrested, as were two people accused as accomplices.
Robbery squad supervisor Tony Zucaro credited Keisel with breaking the case.
Police on Monday released these charges against the suspects:
Quirin Weatherspoon: six counts of robbery and six counts of using a gun in a crime. He is accused of robbing McDonald's restaurants in the 1100 block of Lynnhaven Parkway, the 700 block of Chimney Hill Parkway and the 4600 block of Lynnhaven Parkway; and 7-Elevens in the 4700 block of Baxter Road and the 300 block of Lynn Shores Drive. For the shooting in the first robbery, he was charged with malicious assault.
He is in jail in $450,000 bail.
His mother, Blythenia: two counts each of conspiracy, robbery, using a gun in a crime, and one count of malicious assault for her alleged role in the two robberies of the McDonald's in the 1100 block of Lynnhaven Parkway. She is being held on $250,000 bail.
Bruce French, 19, of the 3400 block of Clubhouse Road, faces nearly the same number and types of charges as Quirin Weatherspoon. Police said he was an accomplice in five of the six robberies, including the one in which the employee was shot. French is in jail on $500,000 bail.
Bruce Prentice Oliver, 21, of the 2300 block of Andre Court, faces similar charges in three robberies. His bail was set at $500,000.
Anyone with more information about the crimes or suspects is asked to call police at 427-0000.
KEYWORDS: ROBBERIES ARREST by CNB