Jun 29, 2009 12:15 pm US/Eastern
North Miami Beach Cop Nabs Alleged Serial Robbers
One Of The Suspects Confessed To Have Robbed At Least Five Stores In Miami-Dade And Broward
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Ulysses Pittman faces five charges including armed robbery.
CBS
North Miami Beach arrested two men Saturday night in connection with armed robberies in the area.
Police say an officer watched as Ulysses Pittman, 20, and another driver Gray Sherard, 23, sped out of a shopping plaza on NE 167th Street and 2nd Avenue at about 7:30 p.m.
Officer Jose Marin had just been alerted about a robbery at a Subway at 239 NE 167th Street.
When he stopped the pair of speeders, Marin found the evidence inside their car: The sandwich that Pittman had ordered as well as all of the cash that was stolen inside of the Subway bag that he forced the employee to put it in. Police also recovered Pittman's firearm, a stolen semi-automatic.
The pair went before a bond court judge Monday morning and they were denied bond.
Police say Pittman confessed to three armed robberies that took place in North Miami Beach, Miami, Miami Gardens and Pembroke Pines.
Pittman faces five charges including armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a stolen firearm, violation of probation. He was on probation for another armed robbery, police said.
Sherard, meanwhile, faces a first degree armed robbery principal charge.
Police said they feared for residents' safety while the pair was still on the loose.
"We've got to stop these criminals before someone gets hurt," said North Miami Beach Police detective Rich Rand. He said, "So far, fortunately, no one has been hurt. But that could change in a second."
GameStop spokesmen tell CBS4 that five stores have been robbed at gunpoint in the past month. One district manager in Miami-Dade told us four were in his district. A fifth store was robbed in Pembroke Pines this past Tuesday.
"I can confirm that this group has robbed three stores I know of," said Rand. "The GameStop store in North Miami Beach at 136th Street and Biscayne Boulevard on June 11th, the Pembroke Pines store at 862 University Drive in Pembroke Pines this past Tuesday and another one at 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami." Two other stores in Miami-Dade were also robbed at gunpoint---one of them at Northwest 199th Street and 441.
Rand says the method of operation is almost always the same. One man serves as a lookout; the other holds a gun on store clerks and demands their cash and playstation games. He released a photo of that gunman, who always wears the same white t-shirt that says "Record Music," and dark sunglasses.
Rand also released surveillance videotape from the robbery of the North Miami Beach store. It shows a lookout entering the store and observing customers and the clerks. Then the gunman enters and casually walks up to the counter with a chrome-plated revolver and demands all of the cash from the cash register.
As Rand points to the guman on the surveillance tape, he says, "You can see how he's very organized. He enters quickly, goes to the clerk and makes his demands. In just minutes, he takes the cash and is gone." Rand said, "The photograph of that gunman is so good that we think someone's going to recognize him. If you recognize him, call North Miami Beach Police or Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-Tips."
A spokesman for GameStop told CBS4 that, "We're going to match that reward of $1,000. So we'll chip in $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. That's a $2,000 reward."
GameStop, which is headquartered in Texas, would not allow any of its employees or victims to speak. "We're cooperating with police and we hope he is caught," said a spokesman in Texas.
CBS4 spoke to employees off camera at two stores. One employee, who said he did not want to give his name, told us, "These people have to be caught and soon. This is scaring the heck out of us. We could have been hurt. I feel like we are sitting ducks. And for some reason, these people are targeting GameStop. I don't know why."
Customers are also concerned. As she left the North Miami Beach store with her three children, Julia Hebburn told us, "The innocent are being hurt because of the guilty. These people need to be stopped. They should get a job. The economy can't be that bad."
CBS4's Peter D'Oench contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Double Homicide In NW Miami-Dade
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