CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two men have been arrested by police in connection with several robberies committed around Charlotte.
Quanterious Whatley, 27, and Tyrek Hendrix, 19, were both charged in seven armed robberies that occurred in January.
Police said Whatley and Hendrix both recently moved to Charlotte from out of state.
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According to investigators, both men decided to use the U-Haul they moved in to commit a series of robberies.
The robberies started about two weeks ago, and at some point, police said the suspects dumped the U-Haul for a silver Impala.
Robert Wilson was working at the GameStop on South Boulevard at Woodlawn Road on Jan. 17 just after 2 p.m. when a man walked up to the counter.
“He just reached into his jacket, pulled a gun out and said, 'Open it,'” Wilson said.
Wilson gave the armed robber $700 from the safe.
A witness saw the suspect run behind the store, jump into a U-Haul and drive away.
Two days later, the gunman returned with the U-Haul and robbed the Family Dollar at gunpoint in the same shopping center. The suspect also ordered the employees to the back of the store.
Whatley and Hendrix are accused of robbing at least five more businesses, police said.
Those businesses include:
- Payless Shoes at 3124 Eastway Dr. on Jan. 16
- Subway at 410 Westinghouse Blvd. on Jan. 22
- Subway at 624 Tyvola Road on Jan. 24
- Metro PCS at 2621 Westerly Hills Dr. on Jan. 26
- Family Dollar at 1560 West Blvd. on Jan. 30
Officers said they tracked the car and found both men in a southwest Charlotte apartment Thursday night and arrested them.
Sgt. Brian Scharf, of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, said, “There’s obviously the stress and emotional injuries to the victims, you know. The threat of a gun. The threat of that type of violence. We can’t really measure that.”
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Fortunately, none of the victims were hurt during any of the robberies.
Whatley has been charged with seven counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Hendrix was charged with one count of robbery with a dangerous weapon and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Both suspects have a history of violent crimes and have spent time in prison out of state.