INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A 24-year old Independence man has been charged with four counts of first-degree robbery for a string of robberies in April, May and June across the city.
Zachary Caldwell's alleged robbery spree started around 12:40 p.m. on April 20 when he stole $253 from a Walgreen’s on South Sterling Avenue after showing the cashier a note on his phone that indicated he had a gun and demanding “all the money in the register,” according to an Independence police probable cause statement.
He later went to a CVS located on West 23rd Street around 4:30 p.m. on May 14 and used a similar note to rob the store of $383, according to police.
Roughly 15 minutes after that robbery, Caldwell allegedly went to a nearby Metro by T-Mobile store on East 23rd Street and told the cashier that he had a gun and demanded money from the register.
He left with approximately $900 and allegedly returned to the same Metro by T-Mobile store shortly before 4 p.m. on June 7, stealing $363 on that occasion.
Caldwell allegedly tried to rob an Advanced Auto Parts store located on South Sterling Avenue on June 18, but the cashier refused to give him money during the encounter and he fled without any stolen cash.
Independence police stopped Caldwell after the attempted robbery as he walked on foot in the area, but he had discarded some clothes and the cashier could not make a positive identification.
While reviewing surveillance footage June 27, police saw video of Caldwell without his face covered entering the Advanced Auto and the officer who stopped him was able to identify him.
The suspect in that video was wearing the same glasses from the four previous successful robberies after a review of additional surveillance video.
Caldwell was subsequently arrested on a municipal warrant for a charge unrelated to the robbery.
During questioning, Caldwell admitted to the robberies, which he said he committed to help his grandmother pay outstanding utility bills. He said he never actually had a gun at any of the robberies, but told the victims he did “so they would take him seriously.”
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