Two more men have been arrested in connection with a string of armed robberies at Dollar General stores, according to Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
One of the suspects was an employee of a store that was robbed.
Dorium R. Davis, 20, of Columbus, was arrested April 26 and charged with accessory to armed robbery. He was an employee at the first Dollar General store that was robbed, located at 5302 Highway 82 at the intersection of Dowdle Drive.
Davis and Tyre-Andre “Ty” Ranch, who was arrested April 14 and charged with a string of robberies, including a home invasion, allegedly worked together at that first Dollar General, Hawkins said.
“They worked together, and that’s where they came up with this plan,” Hawkins said.
Davis was allegedly the clerk behind the counter when the first robbery occurred, Hawkins said, and Ranch even hit him on the head with his gun to make the robbery look more real.
“It was just a tap,” Hawkins said.
Davis’ bond had not been set as of press time.
Brandon Baker, 18, of Columbus, turned himself in on April 25, Hawkins said. He has been charged with one count of robbery and two counts of kidnapping in connection with the robbery of the Dollar General on Pleasant Hill Road. Bond was set at $500,000 for the armed robbery and $250,000 each for the kidnapping charges, for a total of $1 million.
The kidnapping charges arise from the two clerks who were allegedly restrained with duct tape and held against their will, Hawkins said.
The first store was robbed March 21 at Highway 182 and Dowdle Drive east of Columbus. The second was March 24 on Highway 12 in north Lowndes County. The third was April 7 on Pleasant Hill Road.
More charges will be forthcoming as the investigation continues, Hawkins said, and there will likely be more arrests.
Anyone with knowledge of this case or any additional information is asked to contact Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at 662-328-6788 or call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at 800-530-7151. Tips can also be submitted via the P3 Tips smartphone app.
Tipsters will remain anonymous, and are eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest.
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