Police: Alleged robbers looked for open windows, random homes

By Tiffany Gibson

Published Monday, April 19, 2010 | 1:33 p.m.

Updated Monday, April 19, 2010 | 3:58 p.m.

Metro Police on Monday released photos of five people arrested last week in connection with several recent residential robberies in the Las Vegas Valley.

Most of the incidents occurred in the western Las Vegas Valley, but some have occurred in Henderson, Lt. Clint Nichols said during a news conference Monday afternoon. He said investigators believe the suspects targeted the west side because it is closer to their homes.

Police said it is unknown if all five suspects were involved in each robbery, but they all knew each other and had some type of agreement to rob various homes.

Nichols said some of the suspects were former roommates at Nevada State Prison. Sarah Cowen, 19, is the only suspect who doesn’t have a criminal record.

“They simply drove around waiting to find unsuspecting people,” Nichols said. “It was, “What are you doing tonight? Let’s drive around and see what we can get into.’”

Cowen was arrested after officers received tips that she could be involved with several of the 15 robberies and home invasions. Nichols said detectives then were able to gather information on other suspects and witnessed two of them burglarize an apartment.

Two men, identified as 40-year-old Leonard Hunt and 23-year-old Jovan Carter, were arrested after officers saw them break into an apartment, authorities said. Police said they entered through a window and came out the front door with items. Officers followed the men as they left in two separate vehicles, police said.

Carter was pulled over and arrested without incident, but Hunt rammed an unmarked police car and tried to flee, Nichols said. Officers chased him to the intersection of West Tropicana Avenue and Arville Street, where the vehicle crashed and overturned.

Hunt got out, hopped a wall and tried to get away, but officers were able to arrest him, authorities said.

Nichols said police interviews with Hunt, Carter and Cowen indicated two other people, David Hayes, 34, and Abdul Shakir, 40, were also allegedly involved. They were both arrested following the interviews, he said.

He said the suspects targeted houses with open windows and no pets.

Officers recovered more evidence over the weekend, Nichols said. As a result, more charges were brought against some of the suspects after drug paraphernalia was found in a stolen vehicle.

Some of the items reported missing from the incidents were recovered in the vehicle, as well as at several locations across the valley, police said. Nichols said the estimated amount of the stolen items is about $20,000. Most of the property included jewelry, TVs and electronics.

Not all of the stolen items were recovered and officers said they believe more people were involved.

The five suspects have been linked to several of the robberies and home invasions, but it is unknown how many of the 15 they allegedly committed. Nichols said the group might have been involved in other burglaries in addition to the 15 known incidents. The suspects in each case were armed, police said.

One of the home invasions that two of the suspects are allegedly linked to involved the March 31 shooting of a homeowner during an attempted robbery, Nichols said.

The shooting occurred when the homeowner tried to escape after being held at gunpoint in his home by two men, authorities said. Police said the men entered through the front door, which was unlocked, and demanded money from the homeowner.

Nichols said it is unknown which two suspects allegedly were involved in the shooting.

Hayes was arrested in connection with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of first-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, burglary with the use of a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and a parole violation.

Cowen was arrested on three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of stolen property.

Shakir is charged with two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts of first-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, burglary with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Hunt is charged with home invasion, burglary, grand larceny and two counts of battery on a police officer with a deadly weapon, two counts of violating parole and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

Carter is facing charges of home invasion, burglary and grand larceny, two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a short-barrel gun, trafficking in cocaine, transport of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell for schedule I-II drugs, conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act and batter.

Police say they recovered a black Ford van Thursday night in the parking lot of an apartment complex near the intersection of Dumont Boulevard and Cambridge Street that is believed to have been used in at least one of the previous home invasion robberies.