News

POLICE ARREST THREE SUSPECTS IN SERIES OF ROBBERIES

By Erin France and Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 8:48 AM CDT

Two adult males and a juvenile were arrested Tuesday afternoon in connection with a series of armed robberies in Pine Bluff.

Detective Bill Wiegand (from left), Office David Ellington and Sgt. Ben Grinage discuss the crime scene by the stolen Chrysler 300 Tuesday afternoon at the corner of 13th and Cherry Streets. Pine Bluff Commercial/Ralph Fitzgerald

Police Chief John Howell said officers had been looking for a car used in the robberies and Lt. Greg Shapiro saw the vehicle on the parking lot of an office complex at 13th Avenue and Cherry Street at about 12:40 p.m. and called other officers who helped make the arrests.

The adults were identified as Charles Helloms, 19, who had a Little Rock address, and Diante Muhammad, 19, of Pine Bluff.

They were taken to the Jefferson County Adult Detention Center where they were held on probable cause of multiple counts of aggravated robbery and theft by receiving, pending an expected court appearance today and the filing of formal charges by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The juvenile was taken to the juvenile detention center. His name was not released because of his age.

Sgt. Richard Davies said one of the robberies occurred on the parking lot of Brookshire’s on East Harding Avenue Monday, and some of the victims reported receiving minor injuries when they were hit with a pistol during the incidents.

A photograph of a car taken in a car-jacking in Little Rock that was provided to Pine Bluff detectives appeared to match the suspect vehicle in the robberies here and police were on the lookout for the vehicle when Shapiro spotted it, Davies said.

When police approached the car, Davies said two of the suspects ran from the vehicle into an office where they were taken into custody. The third person remained in the vehicle and was arrested there.

Davies said an investigation into the robberies is continuing.

Print this story   |   Email this story