62-year-old man arrested after series of armed robberies, police say
A 62-year-old man accused of six armed robberies in a five-day span has been arrested.
Johnny Hedge is charged with four counts of robbery with the use of a deadly weapon and burglary while in possession of firearm, and one count of owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person, records show.
Two fast-food businesses, a discount store and a video poker parlor were the Las Vegas targets between March 12 and 16, according to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report. Investigators also linked Hedge to two North Las Vegas robberies committed on March 16, the report said.
In each of the Las Vegas cases, Hedge talked to a cashier, demanded money and flashed a firearm.
Robbery detectives were able to get a consistent description of the suspect and vehicle used and canvassed the neighborhood of the final incident on the 3300 block of South Maryland Parkway. On March 17, police searching the parking lot of the Solaire Apartments, 1750 Karen Ave., and discovered an SUV that resembled the vehicle used in the robberies.
Two men walked past the vehicle, and one — Hedge — matched the description of the robbery suspect, the report said. Police recovered a Glock 9mm handgun and a cigarette pack containing 9mm rounds as Hedge was taken into custody.
The man walking with Hedge was also interviewed after he admitted to also having a firearm on him.
During a police interview, the report said, Hedge requested a lawyer and asked what was happening with his acquaintance. When told that the second man was also being interviewed, Hedge became upset and said, “I did it. I did those robberies, but (he) didn’t do anything,” according to the report.
In a continued interview, he told investigators that the gun wasn’t loaded and that he “just went out to get the money,” according to the report.
Hedge is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $20,000 bail, court records show. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for April 6.
Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on Twitter.
