Evansville Cops Nab Suspect in 5 Convenience Store Holdups

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- A 28-year-old Evansville man faces multiple felony charges after police linked him to five armed robberies targeting convenience stores across the city over the past month, authorities announced this week. The suspect, whose name has not been publicly released pending formal charging, allegedly entered stores displaying a firearm, demanding cash from registers while terrifying employees and patrons. The string of holdups, first reported by WRTV, prompted a swift multi-agency response from the Evansville Police Department and Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office, culminating in the man's arrest without incident late last week.

The robberies unfolded rapidly in familiar neighborhood spots, heightening fears in this southwestern Indiana hub of 117,000 residents. Witnesses described the suspect entering cloaked in dark clothing, brandishing a gun--sometimes firing warning shots--before fleeing with small hauls of cash. Similar tactics echoed recent incidents nearby, including a February 2026 gunpoint robbery in northern Vanderburgh County where four Evansville teens--Caleb Christopher Baggett, 17; Jacob Joseph Harte, 18; Ashton Alexander Kohlmeyer, 17; and a 15-year-old--held a juvenile victim at gunpoint over vape cartridges, all charged with Level 3 felony robbery. In another case, Requavian Cooper was jailed without bond for dual armed robberies at Chuck E. Cheese and Plato's Closet on North Green River Road, firing shots and pointing his weapon at young staffers.

Investigators pieced together surveillance video, witness sketches and ballistic evidence to ID the suspect, who matched descriptions across all five scenes. 'These were brazen acts preying on hardworking Hoosiers in everyday stores,' said Evansville Police Chief Jason Cullum in a statement. The arrest disrupts a pattern plaguing Tri-State area businesses, where convenience store clerks--often minimum-wage earners--face rising violence amid Indiana's post-pandemic crime uptick. Vanderburgh County Jail records show the man held without bond, with preliminary hearings set for mid-May in circuit court.