The Richmond Register

August 18, 2009

Police arrest man in pizza driver robbery

Brian Smith

Police on Saturday arrested one half of a duo that allegedly robbed a pizza delivery man at gunpoint Aug. 5.

Edwin D. Herring, 19, of Fifth Street, was arrested at his home and taken into custody for allegedly being involved in the robbery of a Domino’s Pizza delivery man on Irvine View on Aug. 5, said Sgt. Willard Reardon, Richmond Police Department spokesman.

The robbery took place as several pizzas were being delivered to an apartment building in the 200 block of Irvine View, Reardon said.

Two black men approached the delivery driver as he exited his vehicle and demanded the food, money and a cellular phone from the driver. One of the men took the items while the other pointed a handgun at the driver’s head, Reardon said.

According to the driver, the two men fled into a wooded area nearby following the robbery. A police canine was able to track the duo to the Evansdale Avenue area before losing the trail.

Investigators identified Herring as a possible suspect the next day and a warrant for first-degree robbery was sworn out, Reardon said.

Police are still searching for the second suspect.

Stolen car

Police say a car was stolen Sunday from the parking lot of a local movie theater.

A silver 2007 Chevrolet Impala was reported stolen shortly after 12:20 a.m. Sunday from the parking lot of the Cinemark theater at Richmond Centre, Reardon said.

The owner told police she had left the car unlocked while attending a movie, Reardon said.

The car was valued at $7,450.

Other crimes

• Police arrested a delivery driver for a local Chinese restaurant for falsely reporting an incident and misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking after they say he reported being robbed during a delivery.

The driver, who worked for Tsing Tao, told police he was robbed at gunpoint while making a delivery to a home on Norwood Drive, Reardon said.

The robber was alleged to have made off with $275 in cash belonging to the restaurant in the robbery, but police canines were unable to find a trail.

Reardon said further investigation indicated the driver’s story was false and the money was recovered from the home of a relative and returned to the restaurant.

The driver, a 19-year-old Foxhaven Drive resident, was lodged in the Madison County Detention Center.

• A pair of N. Third Street residents were picked up Saturday for second- and third-degree possession of controlled substances and alcohol intoxication after a clerk at a local gas station reported them to police.

The clerk at the BP station on Berea Road told an officer outside that the duo were inside the store and appeared to be “grossly intoxicated,” Reardon said.

After the officer took the man and woman into custody, 17 oxycodone pills and eight clonazepam pills were found in the man’s possession, while the woman had five oxycodone pills and five clonazepam pills.

• Approximately $2,000 worth of CDs were reported stolen Thursday from an unlocked car parked outside an apartment in the 100 block of Woods Trail.

• The owner of an apartment complex in the 500 block of Baker Court reported Friday that a white GE refrigerator valued at $450 had been taken by a departing tenant.

• A desktop and a laptop computer were reported stolen Friday from the resident of a home in the 100 block of Millstone Drive. The victim told police that the Toshiba laptop computer and Compaq desktop computer were taken by an acquaintance and not returned. The computers were valued at $2,100.

• A car stereo was reported stolen Friday from a Chevrolet Tracker after the cloth removable top was cut. The unknown brand stereo was taken within the past two weeks, the victim told police.

• An RCA stereo and a Magnavox DVD/VCR were reported stolen Thursday from an apartment in the 300 block of N. Second Street. There were no signs of forced entry, Reardon said. The items were valued at $140.

Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to call the Richmond Police Department at 623-1162 or 623-8911.

Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@ richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.