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3 teens arrested after phone store robbery

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) —  Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers have arrested three teen suspects believed to have robbed a Verizon phone store.

Aquila Smith and Camryn Strayhorn, both 18, and a 16-year-old juvenile face preliminary charges of robbery. Detectives with IMPD’s covert robbery unit discovered after interviewing the suspects that Smith and Strayhorn walked into the store acting as customers and the 16-year-old entered the store, 5849 E. 71st St., at gunpoint about 3 p.m. Tuesday.

An IMPD officer was responding to the 911 call from the northeast side store when he saw a Kia pass him in the opposite direction. The vehicle was believed to be involved in the reported robbery. The officer made a U-turn, then stopped the Kia at the intersections of Ruth and Ravenswood drives, and the occupants fled on foot. Police began a search and found the three suspects.

During the robbery, police said, the three suspects ordered the business clerks to the back of the store where the suspects stole several phones. “After taking the stolen phones, all three suspects fled to the suspect vehicle. None of the customers or business workers sustained any injuries,” said an IMPD advisory.

“These arrests represent the continued effort of IMPD Covert Robbery Unit to identify and apprehend suspects who commit a high number of serial robberies throughout the Indianapolis and surrounding counties,” the advisory said. “Over the past several months, detectives have arrested or identified several suspects in separate cases specifically targeting wireless phone stores throughout the Marion and surrounding counties.”

Detectives have made arrests in seven such cases since mid-May, the advisory said.

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