RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)—Multiple police sources confirm that two suspects have been arrested after a crime spree that struck near and on the VCU campus Monday; with criminals making a total of six robberies and robbery attempts, in just two hours.
An official press release came down from Richmond Police at 10:49 p.m., saying that with the assistance of Hanover County deputies, Richmond Police detectives have charged James V. Banks and Joshua L. Bryan, both 19, with robbery and use of a firearm during the commission of a robbery for the Oct. 8 armed robbery in the 500 block of East Grace Street.
Banks was arraigned Wednesday morning on several charges including brandishing a firearm.
Detectives are still investigating the other robberies that occurred in the area near VCU last night and additional charges are pending.
Neighbors in a Mechanicsville neighborhood told CBS 6 that Tuesday morning they saw police questioning a man wearing the chili pepper print pajama pants that VCU Police Chief John Venuti listed in the suspect description.
Several police sources told CBS-6 that cell phone technology led them to the area.
Hanover Sheriff's deputies however would not confirm the details of the search, and would only say they’re aiding other agencies in an investigation.
“I looked out my door and police were everywhere,” said one neighbor who didn’t want to be identified. “There was a SWAT team knocking my neighbor’s door in."
We went to that door and a woman acknowledged her son had been arrested but said she had no comment.
According to police sources, the search warrant at the Hanover home was executed right around the same time VCU President Michael Rao addressed the media about the Monday night mayhem.
“We want to have a safe learning, working and living environment,” said Rao. “It's absolutely essential to everything we talk about as one of the nation’s great research universities."
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