Three of the suspects responsible for robbing Reeds Jewelers inside Wolfchase Galleria for more than $530,000 worth of Rolex watches have been apprehended in Houston, Texas.
The suspects have been identified as Chadwick Bailey, 40; Andrew Penrice, 31; and Dalton Francis, 29. All three are residents of Houston. They’re currently awaiting extradition to Memphis.
Information on the suspects’ capture was disclosed during a press conference held Tuesday morning, February 11th, by the Memphis Police Department and District Attorney General’s Office at 201 Poplar. It was also revealed that there are two more suspects currently at large — Rodrick Walker, 34, and Maurice Williams, 26. Walker is presumed to be in Houston while Williams is believed to be in California. There’s also another individual that the MPD is considering to be “a person of interest,” according to MPD deputy director Anthony Berryhill.
Berryhill said evidence was obtained from the scene that led investigators to believe the suspects responsible for the heist were not local but actually residents of the Houston area. Although he couldn’t disclose what evidence led law enforcement to suspect that, it was revealed days after the heist took place that a cellphone, clothing and a couple sledge hammers were recovered at Wolfchase Galleria. It’s presumed that this evidence helped officers locate the suspects.
Berryhill said during the press conference that MPD investigators contacted Houston Police Department for assistance with its investigation. He said MPD investigators also traveled to Houston to continue their investigation into the case on February 5th.
“From the Memphis Police Department’s perspective, it’s always a great thing when we can come together with outside agencies and we can put a plan together and that plan works,” Berryhill said. “The collaboration with Houston, TX along with the Attorney General’s office here in Memphis has resulted in these arrests, and we’ll be looking forward to going forward when we get the other two people in custody.”
On January 18th, six men dressed in black with hoodies entered Reeds Jewelers inside Wolfchase. Four of the assailants carried sledgehammers, which they used to smash open jewelry showcases and retrieve $539,000 worth of Rolex watches. They subsequently fled the scene, leaving in two separate vehicles. They managed to commit the robbery and exit the store in less than a minute, according to Berryhill.
Berryhill said he couldn’t address if the suspects had any connection to Memphis, due to the investigation still being fresh. He also couldn’t comment on the possibility that the suspects have committed heists in other areas or if any of the watches were located on them at the time of their capture.
The date that the suspects will be extradited to Memphis wasn’t revealed during the press conference.
