A suspect, who may be linked to 15 armed robberies in Surprise and Peoria, was shot and arrested by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
MCSO reports that between April 12 and July 28 of this year 15 linked armed robberies have taken place in Surprise, Peoria, and MCSO jurisdiction in the area.
In each case, the suspect used a knife or black colored handgun and left the robberies in a dark colored GMC Sonoma pick up truck.
Investigators checked for Sonoma trucks registered in the area and focused on one owned by 45-year-old Willie James Timmons JR. Timmons had prior convictions, serving 15 years of a 30-year sentence in Missouri for 18 armed robberies. He was also arrested for a homicide, but never convicted.
Timmons also had tattoos on his hand that matched images seen in the surveillance video.
On July 29, Detectives followed Timmons from his home in Sun City to an auto parts store near 91st and Peoria avenues, where he allegedly went inside and robbed the clerks of $1,100.
Detective’s confronted him outside the store but he ran. When he stopped, MCSO says, he refused to remove his hands from his waistband and when he made a concealed move, he was shot in the abdomen.
He remains in the hospital in stable condition and is being held on a $200,000 bond for armed robbery. He denies any involvement in any of the armed robberies.
