A robbery duo that police said targeted Asian women in three counties in two states is now behind bars.
Investigators believe the robberies began in April and continued until last week, when the two were arrested in Orange County, Fla., according to Cpl. Jake Smith with Gwinnett County police.
Darnell Rice, 39, and Felix Pierson, 40, are facing charges in Florida, Gwinnett and possibly Cobb County, where they allegedly also committed similar crimes, Smith said.
The suspects often targeted Asian women employed at restaurants and conducted surveillance to find victims, according to police. The duo believed they were targeting business owners, but sometimes they followed employees.
“They would wait for a victim to close her business for the night, and then follow her home,” Smith said in an emailed statement. “On the night of a robbery, the suspects would lie in wait near the driveway of the target’s home. Upon a victim’s arrival, the suspects would rush up to her and take her purse.”
One victim was beaten when she resisted, but was not seriously injured, according to police.
Rice was charged with similar crimes in 2009, and investigators were able to link him and Pierson to the most recent crimes, Smith said. When Gwinnett detectives learned the two were planning a similar heist in Florida, they contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the two agencies worked together to arrest the suspects.
“Working together, detectives took Rice and Pierson into custody before they could complete the robbery,” Smith said. “Upon searching Rice’s vehicle, detectives located property belonging to multiple victims from Gwinnett.”
The suspects are expected to be extradited to Gwinnett.
Investigators believe it is possible that there are additional victims who have not reported the crimes to police. Anyone who may have been a victim is asked to contact Gwinnett police at 770-513-5000.
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