MEQUITE, Nev. – A Henderson, Nevada, man arrested Friday following the robbery of a dry cleaning store in Mesquite is also be connected with a robbery that occurred in St. George earlier that day.
Tom Starrett, 51, is alleged to have entered the Iron Mountain Cleaners in Mesquite and “walked behind the cash register, and forcefully removed cash from under the register,” according to a press release from Mesquite Police issued Monday. Starrett then ran to his car and sped away.
Witnesses were able to supply police with a description of the suspect and the vehicle he left the scene in, including a license plate number.
Starrett’s car was parked outside an area casino where he was inside gambling. Police took him into custody without incident, according to the press release.
Starrett was subsequently charged with felony counts of robbery and burglary, as well as misdemeanors for the possession of drugs and related paraphernalia. He has been taken to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.
The car Starrett was driving, a black Honda Accord, was reported stolen out of St. George and was also involved in an “attempt to locate” call put out by the St. George Police in connection with a robbery at the Bloomington Wal-Mart Supercenter, Mesquite Police Officer Quinn Averett said.
The Wal-Mart robbery occurred Friday morning and involved a man stealing a cash register from the store’s garden center.
St. George Police Sgt. Tyler Cowan told St. George New Friday evening that Mesquite Police had contacted their department with the belief Starrett may be the suspect from that morning, primarily due to the car involved likely being the one involved in the Wal-Mart incident.
Detectives were sent to Mesquite, Nevada, Friday to confirm the connection, Cowan said.
The St. George Police Department confirmed Monday afternoon that Starrett is the alleged Wal-Mart robbery suspect.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Email: mkessler@stgnews.com
Twitter: @MoriKessler
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