FORT PIERCE — A man suspected of being the “Red Striped Bandit” was arrested following a Monday armed robbery and is thought to be involved in a series of similar crimes stretching back to 2007, according to an affidavit released Tuesday by police.

Cedrick T. Beckwith, 26, of the 800 block of Georgia Avenue, faces a robbery with firearm charge in connection with the Monday evening incident at the Ramallah Food Market in the 3000 block of Orange Avenue.

The department’s crime analysis unit helped identify an apparent pattern of robberies and attempted robberies beginning in October 2007, Sgt. Dennis McWilliams said. The incidents occurred at either the same store or same type of store and at around the same time of evening in the fall or winter months. The suspect description also was generally consistent.

He wore a black jacket with red stripes, and police dubbed him the “Red Striped Bandit.” The pattern included four robberies and two attempted robberies.

About 7:30 p.m. Monday, a worker at the Ramallah market told police a man wearing a navy blue hooded sweater pointed a .38 caliber revolver at him and demanded money. The gunman hopped over the counter and took all the cash in the register, police said.

A witness in the store also encountered the gunman. The witness said he put his hands in the air, and said he was leaving. He went outside and saw the gunman walk toward a Chevrolet Tahoe on Atlantic Avenue.

The victim recognized the gunman “from him coming to the store to place posters on the building announcing upcoming events,” an affidavit states.

McWilliams said police had received information during an earlier investigation that Beckwith could be involved in the robberies and attempted robberies.

An officer showed the victim a driver’s license photo of Beckwith, and he identified Beckwith as the robber, the affidavit stated.

McWilliams said police are reviewing the earlier incidents and conferring with prosecutors to determine whether Beckwith will face charges in connection with those. Surveillance video from three of the crimes showed a suspect in a jacket similar to one seized Monday from Beckwith’s residence, police said.

Beckwith said he didn’t participate in the Monday robbery.
By Will Greenlee, TCPalm.com

Tags: arrest, convenience stores, firearm, red-striped bandit, robberies, suspect

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 9:58 am and is filed under Crime, Fort Pierce. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.