Police Arrest Two in Connection With Driveway Robberies

Dallas police say two people arrested in connection with a driveway robbery Thursday night could be connected to more than 24 cases reported in the area.

Maj. Jeff Cotner, with the Dallas Police Department, spoke during a news conference on Friday morning where he said 51-year-old Charles Hunt and 27-year-old Santana Andrews were arrested at 7:44 p.m. Thursday following the report of a driveway robbery earlier that evening on N. Montclair Avenue.

The pair were seen by police patrol officers in the area while in a silver sport utility vehicle with Louisiana license plates. Hunt, no stranger to law enforcement, is currently on parole for robbery, police said.

Police said Andrews was seen throwing a wallet from the passenger side window before the arrest. Investigators found the wallet, determined it was stolen and that it was connected to the robbery that took place earlier in the evening.

Following the arrests, Hunt and Andrews were charged with aggravated robbery for the offense that occurred on Thursday. However, police found additional evidence in the vehicle that may be connected to other robberies in the area.

Cotner mentioned that a ski mask was found in the vehicle, which matches victim's statements about the robbers wearing a mask. In other cases victims reported the robber was wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt and was armed with either a gun or a knife. Victims have also reported the robber as white, black and Latino male; in some cases the robber was said to be female.

"I feel much better, because now they got them, I feel much more secure," said robbery victim Santiago Gomez. Gomez and his wife were robbed last Sunday. They believe at the hands of two people who are now behind bars.

NBC 5 sources said the duo have each confessed to multiple robberies. According to police sources, Andrews has confessed to three robberies and Hunt has admitted to five robberies, along with one in Irving.

"They try not to come home so late, or leave so early, and that affects their life, because sometimes you have to, they're scared; uneasy," said their daughter Lany Gomez.

On Wednesday, Cotner said police were working with three vehicle descriptions, with a silver Saturn VUE being the most reliable. They have also received reports of a white or cream-colored Chrysler 200, a white Honda and a dark-colored sedan.

Court records show Hunt is a parolee and registered sex offender with convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated assault.

Police said all but three of the victims have been female and they range in age from 18- to 78-years-old.

Dallas police are warning residents to always be alert and aware of your surroundings and that people should call 911 if they see anything suspicious in their neighborhood. Additionally, rewards of $5,000 each are being offered by Crime Stoppers and Oak Farms Dairy for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the cases. Tipsters can call 214-373-TIPS or 214-671-3584 with information.

NBC 5's Randy McIlwain, Ray Villeda and Ken Kalthoff contributed to this report.

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