SMPD Arrests Five Men Accused In Pizza Delivery Robbery
On April 7, just before 5 p.m., the victim received a delivery order of pizza to Aqua 16 apartments. When he delivered the pizzas, the residents of the apartment indicated in the order told him they did not order pizza.
San Marcos Police have arrested five men accused of robbing a pizza delivery driver earlier this month.
On April 7, just before 5 p.m., the victim received a delivery order of pizza to Aqua 16 apartments. When he delivered the pizzas, the residents of the apartment indicated in the order told him they did not order pizza.
The driver called the phone number on the order, and the person who answered told him to go to another apartment for the delivery. When he did so, the victim was approached by two men, one of whom acted as if he were going to pay for the pizzas.
When the victim began to unload the pizza boxes from his carrier, the other man struck him in the back of the head with a large metal water bottle, and both ran off with his pizza and money bag. The victim suffered minor injuries and refused EMS transport.
On April 11, SMPD detectives reviewed video surveillance from a nearby business and saw that three other people were acting as lookouts for the two original offenders. Investigators also learned that several Gary Job Corps students had been staying at the nearby Motel 6. After reviewing all video, it did not appear that the offenders fled in a vehicle but rather ran to the motel.
Two days later, detectives met with Gary Job Corp staff and searched through student photos. SMPD was able to positively identify Da Lavon Lamar Scruggs (DOB: 6/14/96) as a suspect. Scruggs admitted to the robbery and was arrested April 13. He implicated the other four men involved in the robbery.
Police arrested the four men identified by Scruggs on April 17: Andrew Douglas Jones Jr (DOB: 12/3/96); Deshaun Adriel Moorer (8/12/97); Daniel Cornelius Hagans (1/10/97); and Sean Austin Garrett (7/19/99).
All five were all identified as current Gary Job Corp Students and are charged with aggravated robbery.
For five to be conspiring to knock off a pizza delivery driver, these thugs had the DNA for criminal activity to begin with. The background checks supposedly done by Gary Job Corps are typically not effective. And, yes, the Gary JCC demographic IS different than students in high schools, community college, trade, and technical schools. As citizens, we need to insist Job Corps step up their game.
Very, sad, they resort to being a thug and jail versus earning a living and leading a productive life. No matter how much training or background checks are done there will always be misfits in society that crave stupidity.