Man arrested in robbery
Published 10:32 pm Thursday, March 17, 2016
A Newport News man has been arrested following a robbery at the Carrollton branch of Langley Federal Credit Union Thursday afternoon.
Demarco Antonio McMullen, 25, of the 100 block of North Hall Way, has been charged with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of burglary tools.
Police say a lone black male, wearing a surgical mask and beanie cap, approached a teller in the branch at 13478 Carrollton Blvd. at 12:20 p.m. and passed a note demanding money and implying he had a gun, according to a press release from the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office.
The teller complied with the suspect’s demands, and he fled on foot. Witnesses in the parking lot observed a male wearing a surgical mask run from the bank and get into a parked car.
A short time later, law enforcement officers in Suffolk spotted him on Route 17 near Suffolk Police Sector 2, Lt. Tommy Potter of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office stated in an email.
“Suffolk Police attempted to stop the vehicle, and a pursuit started there,” Potter wrote. “The pursued for a distance, and then Chesapeake Police assisted.”
The suspect eventually abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot. An off-duty law enforcement officer who was aware of the situation came into contact with the suspect near Portsmouth Boulevard and Jolliff Road and detained him briefly until Isle of Wight sheriff’s deputies arrived, according to the release.
Investigators with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office have been working with investigators from numerous jurisdictions to determine if McMullen is responsible for similar robberies in those jurisdictions, according to the press release.
“At this time, investigators feel fairly certain that these incidents could be related,” the press release stated.