Wednesday, April 1, 1998 | 10:51 a.m.
Metro Police have cracked at least four robbery cases in 48 hours and believe two of the six suspects they now have in custody may be linked to additional hold-ups, authorities said.
Roman Terrance Ponce Sr., 27, has been jailed in connection with the Desert Shore Chevron robbery on Sunday.
Ponce has been accused of entering the business, displaying what the clerk thought was a handgun and fleeing in a vehicle with an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.
The clerk contacted police immediately with a description of the suspect and his car. Patrol units stopped a car matching the broadcasted description and took Ponce into custody along with a 15-year-old female runaway.
Douglas Dean McElravy, 39, and Michael James Calabrese, 23, also were arrested Sunday in connection with the March 22 robbery at Starbucks, 4732 Faircenter Dr., and the March 26 hold-up at Give Me A Break Coffee Shop, 5440 W. Sahara Ave.
McElravy and Calabrese are being charged with robbery, robbery with a weapon, four counts of first-degree kidnapping with a weapon, burglary, conspiracy, and being ex-felons with firearms in their possession. No court date has been set.
Patrol Officers Travis White and Steve Tafoya have been credited with witnessing and catching three suspects now in jail for allegedly robbing two United Coin Company employees at gunpoint Saturday night.
White and Tafoya were investigating a nearby traffic accident at 10:50 p.m. when they observed the robbery in progress in the parking lot of 3455 E. Flamingo Road.
The duo was able to detain two of the suspects, and the third was taken into custody with the assistance of K-9 officers and their dogs who tracked the man down in the 4100 block of Franciscan Court.
Arthur Cullins, 28, and Darrell E. White, 22, were booked into Clark County Detention Center and charged with robbery with a weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery, battery with intent to commit robbery, and being ex-felons in possession of firearms. Cullins was additionally charged with first-degree kidnapping, and White was charged with burglary.
Derek McCall, 19, has a pending court date for his charges in connection with the United Coin incident that include robbery with a weapon and conspiracy.
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