Four men accused in string of 26 business robberies in Columbus

An investigation into a string of 26 business robberies dating back to December has led to four arrests on multiple charges, Columbus police said Wednesday.

The suspects were identified as Jimmy Ray Walker, 19, Marquell Edsean Watson, 21, Mark Gardner, 21, and Domanique Daquan Brown, 20. Walker, Watson and Brown are being held in the Muscogee County Jail but Gardner posted bond following his arrest.

Police Maj. Gil Slouchick of the Investigative Services Bureau said detectives expect to make more arrests in connection with the holdups but wouldn’t give a number.

“These men were arrested in connection with a string of armed robberies,” the major said. “These individuals were in what we determined to be an armed robbery crew. They were either by themselves or with each other so each individual wasn’t in every robbery.”

Slouchick said some of the suspects were arrested together.

“Then from evidence that we’ve obtained and video that we’ve obtained, we were able to make a connection,” he said.

Gunshots were fired in at least three of the armed robberies at the Summit on Williams Way, One Stop Store on Buena Vista Road and Hungry Howie’s on Schomburg Road. No one was injured during the gunfire.

In arrest reports on the suspects, police said arrests were made possible after interviewing the subjects and confronting them with video images of crimes along with clothes seized from some of their residences and a vehicle. The arrests were made after an investigation for “several weeks.”

Walker, Watson and Brown were in Columbus Recorder’s Court on April 22 to face charges in the armed robbery at Hawthorn Suites hotel at 3662 Victory Drive. A detective testified that a housekeeper was forced back inside the business at gunpoint on April 21 as she attempted to leave. The man with the gun fled after taking $311 from the cash register.

A gold Buick matching the description of the vehicle at the hotel was spotted at the Waffle House on Victory Drive and later at the Liberty Gas station on Fort Benning Road. Police seized a .40-caliber pistol and cash from the vehicle.

They are held on bonds totaling more than $100,000 each.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Four men accused in string of 26 business robberies in Columbus."