Third man arrested in Thursday-morning robberies

A third man has been arrested in connection with three Thursday-morning robberies.

Lexington police took Desmond Keys, 24, into custody on charges of robbery, burglary, and receiving stolen property, police spokeswoman Brenna Angel said.

Keys was part of three robberies that started around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, police allege. Keys and two other men in a blue Chevrolet Traverse pulled over near Maxwell Street and Woodland Avenue to rob two people who were walking home from a grocery store, Angel said.

“One of the suspects pointed a gun at the victims and demanded their belongings,” Angel said. “The suspects took the victims’ cell phones, keys, wallet and groceries.”

About 30 minutes later, the three men entered the Waffle House at 2203 North Broadway with two handguns and an ax and stole the restaurant’s cash register, police said.

A witness at the scene provided police with the license plate number for the Traverse.

Keys and the two men were spotted by police at 2:30 a.m. at the Speedway gas station on the corner of Versailles Road and Alexandria Drive.

When a police officer approached the Traverse, four men tried to flee, Angel added.

Demarco W. Cothron, 27, and David A. Ross Jr., 25, were ultimately taken into police custody. The men were each charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and felony receiving stolen property.

The investigation also revealed that the Traverse was reported stolen Sunday. Cothron, Ross and Keys are also connected with a burglary of the Check Exchange at 644 North Broadway at 1:55 a.m. Thursday, shortly before the men stopped at the Waffle House, Angel added.

This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Third man arrested in Thursday-morning robberies."