Three women have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at the VFW last week, Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry Sr. announced at a Thursday press conference.
Shanta Henley, 35, and Alexis Harris, 25, were both charged with armed robbery. Andrea Shinn, 46, was charged with accessory after the fact, conspiracy to commit a felonious act and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Shinn is Harris’ mother, Daughtry said.
Bond has not been set yet, he said, and police intend to ask that bond be denied.
The robbery occurred Jan. 12 while the VFW post was hosting bingo night. A 62-year-old bartender was struck in the head with a handgun during the holdup, but there were no other injuries reported.
Daughtry said the arrest came about after an off-duty investigator saw a car that matched the description of the suspects’ vehicle.
“A stop was initiated, and we brought the suspects in for questioning,” Daughtry said. “Questioning led to the arrest of three individuals.”
Investigators worked very hard to close the case, he said.
“The park is real nearby, there’s a neighborhood real nearby,” Daughtry said. “You have a lot of people in the community that were just concerned. …They struck a 62-year-old woman in the head with a pistol. (The investigators) felt like ‘that could have been my mom.’”
Investigators’ rapport with the community helped make the arrests, Daughtry said.
“People are seeing that if they help the police department their name isn’t going to be put on blast,” he said. “They want to help, and they want their community to be what it used to be.”
Post Commander Phil Lovell said the arrest meant a lot to him and to the VFW.
“We are a nonprofit, and any money that’s taken from us is taken from the community,” he said. “… If we have somebody in the hospital or that’s sick and needs money to help pay bills, that’s what we do.”
Lovell said the people at the VFW are “skittish” in the aftermath of the robbery.
“The other day I was out there and I saw a car pull up by the old American Legion building and just sit there, and so I called the police,” he said. “We’re skittish, but we’re going to get over it.”
Daughtry said CPD would “hunt down” violent criminals.
“We want the criminal element to know that we’re not going to play with you,” he said. “We’re going to hunt you down and we’re going to put you in jail.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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