Criminals planning a robbery spree might want to start looking up at the sky before they make their moves.
No, there are no caped crusaders swooping in, but local law enforcement is getting creative with an aerial approach to take suspects down.
A crew of four suspects has been taken into custody in connection with a series of armed robberies targeting Dollar General stores across Jacksonville, Florida.
The suspects have been identified as Tresonda Benefield, Nathanial Carter, Jackeri Lewis and Jakeithiyan Daniel, according to WJXT-TV.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the suspects allegedly used the same pattern in robberies at Dollar General locations on Main Street, Fort Caroline Road, Yellow Bluff Road and another store on Main Street in the Brentwood neighborhood.
Investigators said three of the suspects would wait until an employee was getting ready to lock up for the night. They would force the worker back into the store at gunpoint and then demand cash from the store safe.
A fourth perpetrator waited in a getaway vehicle.
However, according to WJXT, investigators discovered a pattern in the behavior of the suspects.
"The suspects were getting away in a white Dodge Charger every time," the station reported.
On May 1, the crew struck again, this time looting over $3,400 from a Dollar General on North Main Street. But this time, the sheriff's department had drones tracking the suspects from above as they made their escape.
As the robbers piled into their signature white Charger, the drones watched and recorded their movements.
A SWAT team and officers converged on the fleeing vehicle, deploying a distraction device.
An officer fired one round, but no one was hit.
Despite being armed during the robberies, the suspects chose not to engage officers with their weapons when surrounded, allowing for their arrests without further violence.
Drone footage showed the SWAT team converging on the suspects and taking them into custody.
Searches at two of the suspects' residences uncovered incriminating evidence linking the quartet to the robbery spree, according to the sheriff's office.
Among the discoveries were articles of clothing identical to those worn during prior armed heists, as well as a cache of latex gloves matching the type used by the perpetrators. Authorities also seized Dollar General bags, presumably containing merchandise looted from the targeted stores. They also found three guns presumably used in all the robberies, ski masks, more than $3,500 in cash and stolen merchandise in the apprehended vehicle.
If found guilty, they could face decades of jail time, according to WJXT.
VIDEO: Florida police use drones and SWAT officers to arrest four suspects in spree of armed robbery of Dollar General stores https://t.co/N5b6kQd56D pic.twitter.com/De6KNyYB93
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 16, 2024
On YouTube, commenters had some fun at the expense of the alleged criminal masterminds.
"Imagine going to jail being known as "the Dollar Store Bandits. What idiots," one commenter said.
"Stay in school kids. That money is not even enough to get you a lawyer for a week," another commenter advised.
"What a crew that is .... The three stooges plus one half of dumb and [dumber] ...." was another comment about takedown.
"These geniuses committed felonies for less than $10K. They must not know that $10K ain’t much these days," another wrote.
The story is a great example of how law enforcement is using cutting-edge technology to enhance public safety and apprehend violent criminals more efficiently.
Drones are an innovative and far more cost-effective way for police to extend their eyes in the sky than helicopter or plane support.
They can be rapidly deployed, are cheaper to operate and can get into tighter spaces than manned aircraft.
Using them made the takedown of these suspects much safer for both the officers and the public.
As drones become more ubiquitous for police use, criminals may need to up their game to stay ahead of these quiet sky marshalls.
Except, of course, the ones who live in Democrat cities like New York, for whom crime continues to pay.
