Two men have been arrested in connection with separate robberies of Hispanic men.
Donald Ray Edgemon III, 23, and Melvin Derrick, 18, are each charged with three counts of aggravated robbery.
Investigators were called at 3:15 p.m. last Saturday to a robbery at 4800 13th Ave. While en route, another robbery at 1320 Clifton Terr. alleyway was reported, with descriptions of the same vehicle and men given for the robbery on 13th Avenue.
The victims at the 13th Avenue location told police they were near the rear of their home moving several vehicles, when they observed a white SUV pull up in the alleyway near the rear of their home. The first victim said three men then walked up to him and asked if he needed any help, to which he replied that he did not.
The victim said at that time one of the men placed a black pistol against his side and told him to "give me everything you got." The man said that he complied out of fear for his life, and allowed the man to grab his two cell phones from his pockets, along with his wallet, which contained $10 in cash, his ID, Social Security card and various credit cards.
The victim said after taking his property, the man then walked towards the other victim, pointed the gun at him and said, "give me everything you got." The second victim said the first victim then came towards them and told them to stop and leave, at which point the three men began running back towards the alleyway to their vehicle. The men did not get any property from the second victim, but he said he did fear for his life, not knowing if they would shoot him or not.
The victims said they saw the vehicle driving south in the alleyway away from their home. A neighbor's camera was able to record the vehicle as it passed his house and was able to capture a partial tag.
The victims described one of the men to be tall, heavy-set and wearing a mask and a white/back striped shirt. They described the second man as wearing a blue jacket with a hood, shorts and sneakers. They described a third man as being light-skinned, but did not give any clothing description.
Investigators then drove to the Clifton Terrace alleyway location to speak with the victim there, who told them he was getting items out of his vehicle when a white SUV pulled up behind his home and several men came running towards him. He said one of the men placed a gun against his side and another placed a gun against the side of his head and said, "give me the money." The victim said the men then reached into his pockets and took his cell phone and demanded the pin for the phone, but he refused to give it to them. He said the men then opened the car door and began to look inside his vehicle, but did not take anything. He said the men then began to run back towards their vehicle, dropping his phone on the way, along with another cell phone. He said the men then got into their vehicle and fled the scene. He described one of the men as a light-skinned black male, but was unsure about the others.
While working these robberies, police spotted the white 2020 Honda CRV with a tag including the partial numbers captured on camera. Police pursued the vehicle and it stopped in the apartment complex at 1348 Passenger St., at which point the passengers fled on foot. While exiting the vehicle, one of the men on the passenger side dropped a firearm, loaded with one round in the chamber and multiple live rounds in the magazine.
Police were able to detain Derrick and had to taser Edgemon to stop him and place him into custody. Both men were transported and interviewed.
Derrick admitted to his part in both robberies. He said he was picked up by "unknown" people near Dodds Avenue and McCallie Avenue in a white SUV. He said they called him by name when he was walking on N. Dodds Avenue and they offered him a ride for some money, to which he agreed. He said they went back to his apartment at 2408 6th Ave. so that he could get $25 to give them. He said he got into the white SUV with a man he knows as "Moo Moo," along with a man by the name of "Meekee," later identified as Edgemon.
Derrick said they all got into the car, along with a female named "It," who they dropped off somewhere prior to the robberies taking place. He said they then told him he needed to go to the store an buy a mask, because he would need it when they went to rob someone. He said they then went to Adman and bought a mask and then stopped and bought some weed, smoked it and went to 4800 13th Ave., went in the alleyway, got out and robbed one of the guys standing nearby, then tried to rob a second guy, but people kept driving by, so they got scared and ran back to their vehicle. Derrick said he took the first man's wallet.
He said after committing that robbery, they went to another house at 1320 Clifton Terr. alleyway and ran up to a man and told him to give them his money, but he said he didn't have anything, so they reached into his pocket and took his phone.
Derrick then said he went into the vehicle to see if there was anything inside it, but he didn't find anything and took off running back to the SUV. He said before running back to the SUV, he gave the man back his phone, although police found the phone in the grass by the side of the home.
Derrick told police that after that robbery, they went to the west side and he told them to let him out of the SUV, but they refused. He said at that point police began to pursue them, and when the vehicle stopped, he got out and fled.
It was at this time the police caught up with him and told him he would be tasered unless he stopped, so he stopped and was placed into custody.
Investigators attempted to interview Edgemon, but he refused to talk to them.
Since Derrick fit one of the descriptions of the robbers, a skinny black male wearing a blue jacket, shorts and sneakers, and he admitted being involved in the robberies, he was charged with aggravated robbery in connection with three robberies.
Since investigators observed Edgemon entering the stolen vehicle in the East Lake Courts, he matched the description (light-skinned black male) of a suspect given on scene at both robberies and he was observed running from the vehicle wearing the same clothing as was observed that he was wearing when entering the vehicle prior to the robberies, he was also charged with aggravated robbery in the three robberies.