3 booked in string of valley store robberies

Three men were arrested over the weekend after they robbed 16 businesses in a month’s time, Las Vegas police said Thursday.

Justin Loper, 26, Kevin Hall Jr., 26, and Keith Williams, 23, were arrested Sunday and booked on several charges of robbery, burglary and kidnapping.

The three armed robbers went into the businesses, most of which were convenience stores, ordered customers to lie on the floor and then held an employee at gunpoint until they received money, Metro robbery and homicide Capt. Csaba Maczala said during a Thursday news conference.

The spree was widespread, with the group hitting several different spots in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas “looking for a quick score,” Maczala said.

The trio, armed and wearing full masks and gloves, typically robbed businesses on Sunday mornings between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Maczala said the group was becoming more brazen and were hitting three to four stores in a single night.

“Each time a suspect gets away with a crime, they get empowered just a little bit more,” Maczala said. “We knew that they were getting pretty comfortable.”

Due to the three going to lengths to hide their identity, it was difficult to identify suspects.

“We knew that eventually we would get some leads,” Maczala said.

Police from Metro and North Las Vegas and the Nevada Highway Patrol tracked the robbers’ pattern and escape routes. So when a call came in a 2:30 Sunday morning at a convenience store on Vegas Drive, police had a hunch who it was.

Arriving officers saw the 1997 dark-colored Ford Crown Victoria, and a chase ensued. After the driver lost control, the three fled on foot, but were picked up by police shortly after. Two of the suspects were detained after being bit by police dogs, Maczala said.

Police believe that the three stole between $14,000 and $16,000 during the spree. No one was injured during the robberies, police said.

All three have prior arrests relating to robberies, according to police.

Loper, Williams, and Hall Jr. are scheduled to be in court on July 30 for their preliminary hearing.