One hour, three victims. Now three suspects are in custody for a string of armed robberies in Gainesville and the suspects got around town quite a bit.
They had a system...Police say Jessica Smith drove, Ronnie Moss grabbed and John Barner wore a mask and carried a shotgun.
The trio were arrested last night for robbing three different people, in three different locations between 3:30 and 4:40 Wednesday afternoon.
Gainesville Police Department Detective Corporal Benjamin Smith said, "During these three robberies they would approach the victims and they would threaten them with a shotgun and point the shotgun in their face and tell em that if they didn't comply with their orders and give up their money and valuables, then they would be killed or hurt."
The first robbery took place on the Northwest campus of Santa Fe College. The victim walked to her car after class and before she could leave the parking lot, a white sedan pulled up behind her.
Santa Fe Police Chief Daryl Johnston said, "Two of the males got out, one of them brandishing a long gun, which we later determined to be a shotgun. Pointed the shotgun in her face and demanded she get out of the car."
The second robbery took place on NW 3rd Avenue, but it was the first incident reported to police. The male victim from the second robbery called police and then just 15 minutes later, police learned of the third robbery, this one in front of a woman's home in Northeast Gainesville.
Smith said, "Just the quick succession of them like that really caused us concern and then as we were investigating, we learned about the Santa Fe one as well."
The Santa Fe victim had gone to family first, before eventually going to GPD, which notified the Santa Fe Police Department. The search for the three suspects in their white sedan was already underway. And it produced results quickly because the car and three suspects had been seen and captured on surveillance camera at a convenience store earlier in the day.
Their arrest is a relief to Santa Fe students, who got an emergency alert about the robbery last night. Freshman Courtney Clayton said, "I mean it's a relief definitely, so you don't have to worry about it."
Police say the suspects, who are now in custody, may be responsible for other crimes in the last few days.