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Lafayette man charged after 3-day robbery spree

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – Prosecutors charged a man with robbery Tuesday after police arrested him last week in connection to a three-day robbery spree.

Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington charged 18-year-old Keywan Moten with three felony counts of robbery for the incidents that took place between Dec.11 and Dec. 13.

Two of the robberies took place at Lafayette Village Pantry stores at the South Ninth Street and South Fourth Street locations. The third was a strong-arm robbery in an alley near Third Street.

Witness descriptions and surveillance video from both VP locations were used to help catch the suspect.

According to court documents, while police were investigating a case of two stolen vehicles in an apartment complex on South Fourth Street, they came across a lead on Moten. Investigators learned he was staying in the apartment complex and police started to do surveillance on him.

Documents continue to say police followed Moten and another man to the S. Fourth Street VP, and that’s where officers approached the men. A VP clerk pointed to Moten and told officers he looked “like the guy that robbed her” last night.

Unique clothing was also found inside the vehicle that matched clothing worn by the suspect during the robberies as seen on surveillance video, police said. Additional search warrants were obtained.

Police said after searching the vehicle and men’s apartment, they found dozens of packs of cigarettes, dozens of Bic lighters and Zig-Zag wrappers. Investigators said all items located were reported stolen during the two VP robberies. Police said they also located items that belonged to the victim of the Third Street robbery.

When police spoke to Moten, he confirmed he was the person in the surveillance video but denied being the robber in any case. But prior to speaking to Moten, court documents say Molten’s friend told police it was his friend “Wan” – also known as Keywan – in the video.