Federal authorities have charged three men from Indianapolis in connection with the early Wednesday morning robbery of the Walgreens Drug Store, 2002 Missouri Blvd.
Two of the men were in custody as of Wednesday evening. They were identified as Jerome King and Daijahm Reed, both 19.
Also charged was Raymond Craig, 20, one of two men still being sought Wednesday night.
He was identified as a suspect after authorities found the identification card he dropped. Authorities did not know the identity of the fourth suspect in this case.
King, Reed and Craig are each facing federal charges of robbery and brandishing a firearm.
Jefferson City police said they believed Craig and the fourth suspect had left the Mid-Missouri area and were possibly headed back to Indianapolis. They also said it was believed this group had committed similar crimes in other areas of the Midwest.
According to police reports, officers responded to the robbery just after midnight.
Reed, Craig and the unidentified suspect entered the store, wearing surgical masks and rubber gloves to conceal their identities. They pointed a handgun at the cashier, tied the cashier's hands behind his back and forced him back to the pharmacy. They then jumped over the counter and ordered the pharmacist to give them prescription drugs. The three then fled the store and ran to a vehicle waiting behind the business.
Officers arriving on the scene saw Reed fleeing on foot to the vehicle in back of the store. The driver, King, sped off leaving Reed behind and he continued to run away from officers.
Meanwhile, other officers attempted to stop King's vehicle, which resulted in a high speed pursuit that went into Holts Summit. There, Missouri Highway Patrol troopers were able to deploy spike strips at U.S. 54 and routes AA/OO. King hit the spikes, slowed down, then went out of control, eventually going off the highway and through a ditch before crashing into the front yard of a residence at Platinum Road and Jazel Lane.
King, Craig and the unidentified suspect fled into nearby woods.
Jefferson City police, the patrol, Callaway County Sheriff's Department and Holts Summit Police Department worked to set up a perimeter to contain the suspects. King was eventually located by K-9 officers and taken into custody.
He was found hiding under a vehicle in the area of Jazel Lane.
At 4:15 a.m. Wednesday, Jefferson City police got a call from a witness who said a man knocked on his door and asked to use his phone. The witness allowed the man to do so, and he said the man told him he was from Indianapolis and he admitted to robbing Walgreens.
The witness told police they could find the man on the roof of O'Reilly Auto Parts, 1010 Missouri Blvd. Officers went to the business and arrested Reed, the suspect who had been left behind, just before 4:30 a.m.
The witness was brought to the scene and identified Reed as the man who had used his phone and admitted to the robbery.
According to federal court documents, King first told authorities he did not know a robbery was planned, but when he saw one of his three companions put a mask over his face before going into Walgreens, "he assumed that criminal activity was going to occur."
However, King later told authorities he entered Walgreens first, to conduct surveillance before the robbery, telling Craig how many people were inside the business.
Authorities recovered a 9mm handgun that was used in the robbery, and it was found to have been stolen from Indianapolis.
Officials also recovered the drugs the group threw out of their vehicle as they fled the scene. Walgreens personnel estimated the value of the drugs at more than $9,200.
EARLIER COVERAGE:
HOLTS SUMMIT - Law enforcement officers are searching for two men suspected of involvement in a Jefferson City armed robbery.
The two are believed to be in Callaway County and were last seen near Holts Summit, according to Lt. Patrick McCutchen of the Jefferson City Police Department.
"It is believed the suspects are from out of state and are not familiar with the Central Missouri area," he said. "They should be considered armed and dangerous."
A few minutes past midnight Wednesday, Jefferson City police officers responded to a reported armed robbery in progress at Walgreens, 2002 Missouri Blvd.
McCutchen said three black male suspects entered the store, while a fourth suspect waited outside in a car. The three inside wore surgical masks and rubber guns and pointed a handgun at the cashier.
The suspects tied the cashier's hands behind his back and forced him into the pharmacy area. They then demanded that the pharmacist hand over prescription drugs, before fleeing the store toward the vehicle, McCutchen said.
Police arrived as the suspects were headed toward the vehicle. Two climbed in before the driver sped off, initiating a high-speed pursuit. McCutchen added that the suspect left behind was apprehended at 4:15 a.m., hiding on the roof of O'Reilly Auto Parts in Jefferson City.
Missouri Highway Patrol troopers deployed spike strips at the U.S. 54 and state Route AA/OO junction near Holts Summit, which the suspects' vehicle hit. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which exited the highway and ended up in the front yard of a residence near the corner of Platinum Road and Jazel Lane.
The suspects fled into the woods, McCutchen said.
The JCPD, HIghway Patrol, Callaway County Sheriff's Office and Holts Summit Police Department set up a perimeter to contain the suspects. A K-9 unit found one suspect, who was arrested.
As of the most recent update from officials, two suspects are still at large. Both are described as black men in their late teens or early twenties.
Area residents are asked to notify police immediately if they spot the two remaining suspects.
EARLIER COVERAGE:
Two people are in custody and two others are being sought after an early morning robbery in Jefferson City.
According to police reports, officers responded to an armed robbery in progress at Walgreens on Missouri Boulevard just after midnight.
Three black men entered the store, wearing surgical masks and rubber gloves to conceal their identities. They pointed a handgun at the cashier, tied the cashier's hands behind his back and forced him back to the pharmacy. They then ordered the pharmacist to give them prescription drugs. The three suspects then fled the store and ran to a vehicle waiting behind the business.
Officers saw one of the suspects fleeing on foot to the vehicle in back of the store. The driver of the vehicle sped off leaving behind the suspect who continued to run away from officers.
Meanwhile, other officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle and that resulted in a high speed pursuit which went into the Holts Summit area. There, Missouri Highway Patrol troopers were able to deploy spike strips at U.S. 54 and Routes AA/OO. The vehicle hit the spikes, slowed down, then went out of control, eventually going off the highway and through a ditch before crashing into the front yard of a residence at Platinum Road and Jazel Lane. All suspects in the vehicle fled into nearby woods.
Jefferson City police, the highway patrol, Callaway County Sheriff's Department and Holts Summit Police Department worked to set up a perimeter to contain the suspects. One suspect was eventually located by K/9 officers and taken into custody, but as of Wednesday morning, two suspects were still at large. They are described as black males in their late teens/early twenties.
At 4:15 a.m., authorities located and took into custody the fourth suspect who was left behind after the robbery. He was found hiding on the roof of O'Reily Auto Parts on Missouri Boulevard.
Authorities believe the suspects are from out of state and are not familiar with the Central Missouri area and they say the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous.