‘Rainbow Revolver’ arrested in connection with 9 robberies

Las Vegas police say a serial robbery suspect dubbed the “Rainbow Revolver” robber has been arrested in nine holdups along Rainbow Boulevard in central Las Vegas over the last year.

Alcede Melonson, 61, of Las Vegas, was arrested Monday on 21 felonies including 12 counts of robbery and nine counts of burglary, all with a firearm, in the string of stick-ups on Rainbow Boulevard from December 2021 to February of this year.

“The series of robberies has been coined, ‘Rainbow Revolver’ for the suspect’s specific use of a revolver during the robberies and locations of the businesses (where) he has committed the robberies,” police wrote in an arrest report for Melonson. “He states ‘give me all the money’ when demanding money from the victims.”

The string of robberies include a Dec. 2021 robbery at a 7-Eleven, 870 N. Rainbow Blvd.; a Jan. 2022 robbery at a 7-Eleven, 1100 S. Rainbow Blvd.; a Jan. 24 robbery at Nevada State Bank, 1941 N. Rainbow Blvd.; a Jan. 30 robbery at a Ross Dress For Less, 911 S. Rainbow Blvd.; a Jan. 30 robbery at a Walgreens, 3480 S. Jones Blvd.; a second robbery at the 7-Eleven, 1100 S. Rainbow; a Feb. 10 robbery at Target, 3550 S. Rainbow Blvd.; a Feb. 16 robbery at Walgreens, 6401 W. Charleston Blvd.; and a Feb. 24 robbery at America 1st Credit Union, 1400 S. Rainbow Blvd.

Police said they carried out an extensive proactive policing effort in the case to try and identify the Rainbow Revolver, including the distribution of fliers at apartment complexes that showed pictures of the robber. On Sunday, police received a tip that Melonson, who frequented a casino on North Rainbow Boulevard, looked like the robber. Police then found Melonson’s Facebook page and located a photo where it appeared he was wearing the same sneakers depicted on video in some of the robberies. Police said they then searched his apartment and found the sneakers along with a “black revolver used in all robberies,” resulting in Melonson’s arrest.

Police said Melonson is a felon with a prior history in California dating to 1976. He is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on Thursday for a status check to discern whether Clark County prosecutors will file a criminal complaint in the case.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.