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12/07/05 |
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Peoria Police Arrest Two Men Tied to Multiple
Armed Robberies Peoria Police have arrested two men who have committed a string of armed robberies in Peoria and other west valley cities. At approximately 10:30pm on Friday, December 2, 2005, Peoria Officers were dispatched to an armed robbery call at the Circle K located at 9476 W. Olive. A man later identified as Thomas Dewitt (DOB 05/15/87) entered the store and, while making a transaction to purchase cigarettes and a lighter, pointed a handgun at the two clerks demanding cash from the register. The clerks handed over $40, and Dewitt fled the store, leaving in a blue passenger vehicle. As Officers were setting up a perimeter in the immediate area, one Peoria Officer observed the suspect vehicle run the red light at 95th Avenue and Peoria at a high rate of speed. That officer and several others initiated a high risk stop on the vehicle, detained four subjects: the driver, Dewitt and 2 passengers without incident, and recovered the cash and weapon from the robbery. During questioning, Dewitt admitted his involvement in the robbery, and implicated himself and one of his passengers, Aurelio Ortega (07/23/79), in another Peoria Armed robbery as well as three others in neighboring cities. In this additional Peoria case, Dewitt confessed to committing an armed robbery on 11/20/05 at the Papa John’s Pizza, 7539 West Peoria. Dewitt entered the store, and while paying for a pizza displayed a handgun and demanded money from the clerk. Dewitt apparently left the store empty handed after the clerk stated he was activating an alarm. In the Papa John’s and Circle K robberies, Ortega was the driver of the getaway vehicle. Dewitt and Ortega were booked early Saturday morning into the 4th Avenue Jail. Dewitt is charged with Armed Robbery, Possession of Dangerous Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and two counts of Aggravated Assault for the Circle K robbery, and one count each of Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault for the Papa John’s robbery. Ortega is charged with two counts of Armed Robbery – one for Circle K, one for Papa John’s. |
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