Crime report ...

On 2-5-12, at about 2:06 am, officers were sent to the Sleep Inn at 2401 East I-H40 on an armed robbery call. The male clerk told officers that two white males came into the motel. They were both wearing ski masks and black jackets. One was armed with a black handgun and came around the counter and demanded money from the clerk.

The clerk told the suspect that the motel didn’t have any cash. Both suspects left the motel west bound on foot. No vehicle was seen. No one was injured.

At around 3:03am, officers were sent to the Days Inn motel at 2102 S Coulter on an armed robbery call. The male clerk told officers that two male subjects armed with black handguns came into the motel. They were wearing ski masks, dark blue or black hooded jackets, and blue jeans. One subject waited at the front doors while the second subject approached the counter and demanded the money. The clerk placed the cash drawer on the counter.

A suspect took money from it. An undetermined amount of money was taken. They fled the motel north on Coulter driving a dark red or maroon vehicle. No one was injured in this incident.

At about 3:20 AM, patrol officers saw a red Ford Freestyle SUV westbound on Amarillo Boulevard. The vehicle matched the description of one investigators believed was used in one or more of the recent robberies.

Officers stopped the vehicle in the 100 block of S. Fannin. There were four males in the car. Two of the occupants were wearing clothing that looked like the clothing worn in the two robberies just reported.

Officers took the four into custody and searched the vehicle. They found four air-pistol type replica handguns, a dark colored coat with the “Tigger” lettering seen in an earlier robbery, and black ski masks.

The following people were booked into the Potter Co. Correctional Center: Obed Vargas HM 20 of Amarillo was booked for six charges of armed robbery and a warrant for probation violation/possession of marihuana.

Joaquin Eloy Damian AKA Damian-Rodriguez HM 21 of Dumas was booked for six charges of armed robbery. Gilberto Rodriguez HM 18 of Dumas was booked for two charges of armed robbery stemming from the two robberies described in this release. Also, a HM 15 with an Amarillo address was taken to the Youth Center of the High Plains on a charge of robbery stemming from the two motel robberies above.


The other robberies being investigated in connection to these arrests are the 1-16 and 1-20 robberies of the Toot ‘n Totum at 6802 Wolflin and 1735 S. Nelson, the 1-21 robbery of the Executive Inn at 2100 S. Coulter, and the 2-5-12 robberies just prior to the arrest.