Arrest made after ‘tip’ from suspect

Keith Paul

Wednesday, May 1, 2002 | 11:16 a.m.

Finding his rental car stolen Tuesday morning, Joseph E. Honrath III wanted a cop. Little did he know that the cops wanted him, too.

Honrath called Metro Police at about 10 a.m. Tuesday after he went into a convenience store to buy alcohol for himself and a new-found friend and discovered his "friend" stole the car, police said.

But Honrath was about to find out that the axiom of what goes around comes around was true. While Honrath was out Monday night, detectives were waiting at his house to arrest him in connection with a string of robberies and burglaries.

After finding his rental car stolen, the 25-year-old dutifully waited for an officer to come hear about how he was wronged. But when an officer arrived at the convenience store at 1300 Las Vegas Blvd. South, police quickly figured that Honrath the victim was also Honrath the suspect.

"I wish they were all like that," said Metro Police spokesman Lt. Vincent Cannito. "It would make our job a lot easier."

Honrath was charged with one count of robbery and one count of burglary, but police suspect him of many more.

Police suspect Honrath of being the "Gilligan bandit" -- so dubbed for the suspect's propensity to wear a floppy hat during holdups. He is accused of 15 robberies -- including two home invasions -- and two burglaries starting on April 16. He is accused of committing seven of the robberies in just one day, April 19.

"There is no way he knew that we were looking for him," Lt. John Alamshaw of Metro's robbery unit said. "He would have never called the police if he thought he was a suspect."

Honrath is accused of robbing just about anyplace that had money -- convenience stores, fast food restaurants and even a violin store. But apparently the Gilligan bandit's favorite location was Roberto's Taco Shops -- four separate franchises were hit.

While Honrath was out apparently making new friends Monday night, detectives got a search warrant and checked his home. Alamshaw said they found evidence from some of the robberies in the home.

Police also found what they say was the weapon used in the robberies. It turned out to be a pellet gun that looked like a real gun.

"We knew who he was. We knew where he lived. We knew where he worked," Alamshaw said. "We set up on his residence waiting for him to come home, but he hadn't been home in about a day. We were just waiting for him."

They waited all night and into Tuesday morning for him.

Then the call came that he was talking to an officer about his stolen rental car.

Honrath has had contact with police in the past. In 1999 he pleaded guilty to burglary and theft and was sentenced to four years in prison. The sentence was suspended and he was ordered to complete several counseling programs including substance abuse, compulsive gambling, impulse control, stress management and financial management, according to Clark County District Court records.

Honrath the accused robber was held in the Clark County jail this morning. Honrath the victim had received no word on his case, as the person who stole the rental car has not been caught and the rental car has not been found."

Lt. Vincent Cannito,

METRO POLICE SPOKESMAN