Police charged a North Carolina man with five local armed robberies on Monday spanning two months and three police departments.
At about 2 p.m. on Dec. 19, Demmarius Tolbert, 24, robbed a Family Dollar in the 500 block of NE 23rd Ave. with a semi-automatic pistol, according to a police report.
He ran off with about $540 from the store’s register. Two hours earlier, he robbed a Dollar General in the 1000 block of NE 16th Ave., according to the report.
After his arrest, Gainesville Police investigators noticed Tolbert’s behavior matched an unsolved robbery from Nov. 18 at a Kangaroo Express on 13th St., said GPD spokesman Officer Ben Tobias.
Additionally, investigators with the High Springs Police Department and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office saw the media coverage of Tolbert’s arrest and linked it to robberies in their respective jurisdictions.
One robbery occurred at a Kangaroo Express in the 4000 block of NW 43rd St. in October, and the other at a Family Dollar in High Springs.
Investigators from the three departments then interviewed Tolbert and connected him to the robberies, Tobias said.
Noting the increase in Gainesville robberies this year, Tobias said every arrest is a welcome improvement.
“When we can help clear five cases with one arrest, it’s even better,” he said.
Police charged Tolbert with five counts of armed robbery and took him to the Alachua County Jail where he is being held, as of press time, in lieu of a $450,000 bond.
Contact Martin Vassolo at mvassolo@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @martindvassolo
