Police in Calera, Ala., said Saturday they arrested two men who robbed a Waffle House, and the suspects are believed to be responsible for a rash of Waffle House robberies in metro Atlanta.
The two men were being held in the Shelby County Jail, authorities said. They are identified as Edwin Mitchell, 21, and DeAngelo Heard, 19. Both are from Ellenwood, Ga., police said.
The arrests come as Cobb County police also announced Saturday they arrested of two suspects in a string of robberies that included a Burger King and a Zaxby's restaurant this week. Rodney B. Lofton, 21, of Marietta and Deontae Conway, 18, of Dallas were being held without bond the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
In the Waffle House hold-ups, Norcross police spokesman Sgt Bill Grogan said it looked more likely that 18 robberies since July 27 were committed by the same suspects. He said the robberies have occurred in six metro Atlanta counties, La Grange, Ga., and Auburn, Ala.
On Friday, a bandit struck the Waffle House at U.S. 78 and Rockbridge Road in Gwinnett County. Employee Daniel Cowans told police he was outside the Waffle House when a man with a shirt tied around his face approached him quickly and drew a gun. He said the man cocked the gun and said "you'd better run before I kill you." Cowans said he ran back into the business and alerted a coworker they were being robbed.
Restaurant video surveillance showed two men entering the Waffle House. One gunman had tried unsuccessfully to open the cash register, said police, who added that only a laptop was stolen. Police later found the two employees on the roof of the business.
On Thursday, the Waffle House at the intersection of Powers Ferry and Delk roads in Marietta was robbed. A male suspect walked into the restaurant, ordered his food, ate, then paid for his meal, Sgt. Dana Pierce with Cobb County police said. The man then pointed a gun at employees and demanded cash from the drawer.
The strategy in most of the robberies has been the same: The perpetrators appear to be two hungry men, placing a to-go order at the Waffle House counter in the early-morning hours. They order food, then sit and wait while the food is prepared. But when the food is ready and it's time to pay, one of the men pulls a gun and demands cash, police said.
Waffle House is offering $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the robberies.
The arrests of Mitchell and Heard in Calera, south of Birmingham and just west of I-65, occurred around 4:15 a.m. Saturday. One of the two suspects was caught after a short foot pursuit, police said.
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