The joint effort of the Yazoo County Sheriff’s Department and the Bentonia Police Department closed the books on two recent separate incidents in the Bentonia area. Thanks to their efforts, three armed robbery suspects and a burglary suspect were put behind bars.
The first incident occurred on July 22 at the Bentonia Gas and Food convenient store, which was burglarized after operating hours.
“The male suspect broke into the store and stole an undisclosed amount of money, cigarettes and vaping items, among other things,” said Simon Stubblefield, with the sheriff’s department.
Investigator Noble Brooks asked Stubblefield and reserve deputy Jason Bright to review the store’s surveillance footage, which captured the image of the male suspect.
“We were able to identify the suspect as William Ellzey,” Stubblefield said. “We picked him up that following Thursday. I, along with deputies Edward Ferrell and Richard Speight, questioned him, and he provided a full confession with the burglary of the store.”
Ellzey, 19, was charged with commercial burglary.
The armed robbery incident occurred last Friday around 9 p.m. at the Shell gas station in Bentonia.
“Three suspects walked into the store and told the owner that he owed them some money,” Stubblefield said. “One of the suspects pulled a gun on the owner and walked him to the back of the store, where he was forced to write a check for the money he supposedly owed.”
Stubblefield said after the suspects left the scene, deputies responded to the call with the store owner and a store clerk identifying the three suspects.
“The store owner and clerk knew all three of the suspects,” he said. “We were able to apprehend them within two hours of the armed robbery.”
R.L Brown and Kendrick Granderson were both charged with conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping. Ledarius Hucks was charged with armed robbery.
Stubblefield said it was the joint effort of deputies and Bentonia officers, including deputy Isaiah Collins, Lamar Tindle, Nolan Warrington, Mylan Smith and officer Deyoung Haymer, that led to quick arrest of the suspects.
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