Police arrested two armed robbery suspects Monday they had been looking for over the weekend, one of whom allegedly wore a Spider-Man mask during the burglary.
The suspects may also be connected to a separate string of Fayetteville home invasions from December, police said.
Julius Watson and Eugene Wimberly, both of Fayetteville, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated residential burglary, terroristic threatening, aggravated robbery and engaging in violent group activity. The pair also face charges of marijuana delivery, possession of marijuana with intent to sell or deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Watson also faces a charge of felony theft of property.
Watson and Wimberly remained Tuesday in the Washington County Detention Center on $25,000 bond.
Police responded to a burglary call Saturday at a Lewis Avenue home in Fayetteville. A resident of the home told police two black men entered the home with a handgun. The home invaders told the resident to lie down, while one of the suspects stole $7 from the man’s wallet, according to a preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspects then asked Evans the location of some marijuana the suspects believed was in the home, police said. The man told police one of the suspects threatened to shoot him in the leg if he did not give them drugs and money, the preliminary report states. The invaders then left the scene, the man told police.
A witness later contacted police to say that Watson and Wimberly were involved in the burglary. A confidential informant, using local Drug Task Force money, bought allegedly stolen property from Watson and Wimberly, police said.
The burglary victim positively identified the property as belonging to him, according to the preliminary report.
The Drug Task Force has been carrying out a drug investigation of Watson and Wimberly over the last two months. During that time period, a confidential informant was able to buy 46 grams of marijuana from the suspects while wearing an audio-recording device, police said.
While raiding the suspects’ home, police found 71 grams of marijuana, two digital scales and plastic baggies. They also found a Spider-Man mask allegedly worn by one of the suspects during the burglary on Lewis Avenue.
The suspects may be connected to another armed home invasion that occurred in Fayetteville on Sycamore Street on Dec. 5, police said. In that burglary, four black men with pistols pushed their way into the home and made the residents get on the floor, before making off with money and cell phones, the victims told police.
Charles Glover and Charles Jackson, both of Fayetteville, were arrested less than two weeks later on suspicion of taking part in the burglary on 775 W. Sycamore St. Glover and Jackson have January and February court dates set for that instance.
Another armed robbery occurred nearby at 1798 N. Chestnut Ave. on Dec. 11. A caller told police two black men covering their faces with black bandanas knocked on the home’s door, then forced their way inside.
One of the suspects was armed with a black pistol, and the residents were forced at gunpoint to lie on the kitchen floor, police said. The suspects took money, phones and drugs from the home before fleeing out the back door, according to police records.
Both suspects were about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, police said.
