Police corral suspected serial robbers
Posted On: Friday, Feb. 26 2010 05:21 AM
By Victor O'Brien
Killeen Daily HeraldThe arrest of two robbery suspects late Wednesday may have closed the case on a string of area robberies.
At least five robberies occurred between Killeen and Temple since Tuesday. Those robberies might be connected, but area police need more time before they can be certain.
"It's a possibility, but we have to wait. They (detectives) want to get this investigation done first, then look at others," Killeen police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said Thursday.
Killeen police arrested Joshua Kalani Douglas, 21, and Jason Whitney Laird, 27, in the robbery of a woman outside of the Residence Inn and Suites at 400 E. Central Texas Expressway.
Shortly before midnight Wednesday, a woman was robbed of cash by an armed man who confronted her at her vehicle outside the hotel.
The robber fled in a light-colored vehicle driven by another male. A nearby officer stopped a gold Chevrolet Impala in the 200 block of East Jasper Drive.
The officer detained Laird and Douglas, whom the victim identified, along with the Chevrolet, as being involved in the robbery, a Killeen police news release stated. Police found a handgun, cash and cocaine during the arrest.
Killeen police withheld the suspects' photos Thursday to avoid tainting photo lineups for other investigations by witnesses seeing the suspects in news reports, Smith said.
Robbery attempt in Harker Heights
Harker Heights police also suspect Laird and Douglas committed an attempted robbery at Market Heights Tuesday, Harker Heights Police Chief Mike Gentry said Thursday.
The robbery occurred outside Barnes & Noble Booksellers, minutes after a Killeen Hilton Garden Inn was robbed at 8:50 p.m. The robber at Market Heights escaped empty-handed after the victim fled in his vehicle.
Armed robberies in Temple
Temple police are investigating two armed robberies. Three men were robbed on a Temple street around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. A delivery driver was robbed outside a Walgreens around 3:40 a.m. Wednesday.
"It's too early, at least in our investigation, to be able to say if the people arrested by KPD are related to ours," Temple police spokesman Lt. Edward Best said Thursday.
Laird and Douglas were arraigned on $100,000 bond Thursday by Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin.
They were transferred to Bell County Jail Thursday with one charge each of aggravated robbery.
Contact Victor O'Brien at
vobrien@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7468. Follow him on Twitter at KDHcrime.