DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997                 TAG: 9703020118

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   40 lines

COURTS & CRIME

An alert employee at a Chesapeake dry cleaners may have foiled an armed robbery Saturday.

Chesapeake police reported that two masked men, at least one of them with a gun, entered an open back door at Crossroad Cleaners and Laundry in the 4300 block of E. Indian River Road at about 4:55 p.m. and began herding employees into a back room.

But while the robbers were forcing the manager to open the safe, a female employee in the front of the store who had not been noticed slipped out the front door, police spokesman Dave Hughes said. The would-be robbers then fled, apparently believing they might be caught, Hughes said. They fired one shot into the ceiling as they left.

Nothing was taken from the safe, but one employee had his wallet taken, Hughes said. Canine units from Chesapeake and Virginia Beach responded, but no suspects were apprehended. NEWPORT NEWS Two juveniles arrested in death of taxi driver

Newport News police Saturday arrested two juveniles in the murder and robbery of a taxi driver last week.

A police spokeswoman said two Newport News males, 15 and 17, were charged with murder, robbery and the use of a firearm in connection with the death of Dallas J. Dempsey, 68. A third suspect, a 16-year-old, was believed to have fled from the area.

Dempsey had responded to a call in the 700 block of 18th St. on Feb. 25, but when he got there was robbed at gunpoint and then shot in the thigh, police said. Dempsey drove away from the scene but lost consciousness and crashed into another vehicle. He subsequently died.

Because they are juveniles, names of the suspects were withheld. KEYWORDS: ROBBERY MURDER

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