POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A 32-year-old Bartow man was arrested Tuesday in connection with 20 robberies of Dollar General and Family Dollar stores throughout Central Florida, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Terell Covington, who was planning another robbery when he was arrested, was charged with three robberies in unincorporated Polk County, two of which were armed, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said.
Covington is suspected of 17 other robberies in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Kissimmee, Plant City, Bradenton, Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough and Orange counties, Horstman said.
Investigators said Covington robbed a Dollar General on East Memorial Boulevard on Dec. 10, a Family Dollar on Kathleen Road on Dec. 17 and a Dollar General on East County Road 540A on Feb. 28 during which he zip-tied two employees' legs together before fleeing by bicycle. Each of the stores are near Lakeland.
"With all the technology available today, we're not sure what this suspect was thinking," Sheriff Grady Judd said in an emailed statement. "He was bound to get caught. Thanks to the great teamwork with our Central Florida partnering agencies, his robbing days are over."
Detectives said they followed Covington’s pickup truck from his Bartow home to a Home Depot near Lakeland, where he was picked up by someone driving a Nissan Altima. The pair circled a Dollar Tree and a Dollar General near Kissimmee.
Polk County deputies contacted Osceola County deputies, who stopped the driver, Joshua Patterson, 27, of Lakeland, and his passenger, Covington, Horstman said.
Investigators said Covington was taken to a PCSO substation for an interview, during which he confessed to 18 robberies in the Tampa Bay area.
"Covington advised that Patterson was the 'getaway driver' during three of the robberies and that on April 10, they were planning to commit another one before being thwarted by law enforcement," Horstman said.
Both men were arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail, where they’re being jailed without bail. They’re scheduled to face a judge Thursday afternoon.
Patterson was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit an armed robbery.
Covington was charged with two counts of armed robbery, one count of burglary with battery, one count of robbery with a mask two counts of armed burglary with battery and two counts of false imprisonment.
Investigators said Covington had previously been arrested nine times between 2003 and 2008, including for robberies in Indianapolis, Indiana, and in Marion County, Indiana. He was sentenced to six years in prison for robbery, deputies said.
Arrest of Terell Covington - News ConferenceSheriff Grady Judd is briefing the media and our Facebook fans about the arrest of 32-year-old Terell Covington of Bartow, who committed 3 robberies in PCSO's jurisdiction and is a suspect in 17 others throughout central Florida. The robberies were all committed at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores, in Polk, Orange, Hillsborough, Osceola, and Manatee counties. Here is the full news release: Serial Robbery Suspect Wanted in 9 Jurisdictions for 20 Robberies at Dollar General & Family Dollar Stores Arrested in Polk County Suspect was planning another robbery on April 10th when apprehended; co-conspirator also arrested On April 10, 2018, PCSO Robbery detectives, working with the Lakeland Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), obtained an arrest warrant for and arrested 32-year-old Terell Covington of Bartow, charging him with three robberies, two of which were armed, that occurred in the PCSO jurisdiction of unincorporated Polk County. Covington, who has a criminal history, is a suspect in 17 other robberies in the following jurisdictions: • City of Lakeland • City of Winter Haven • City of Kissimmee • City of Plant City • City of Bradenton • City of Tampa • Unincorporated Hillsborough • Unincorporated Orange The PCSO robberies for which Covington are charged are: • December 10, 2017 – a black male suspect described as 6’2” tall, weighing 220 lbs., wearing a black hoodie, black sweatpants, gloves, a mask, and carrying a black backpack, entered the Dollar General Store located at 4520 US Hwy 92 West in Lakeland, and committed a robbery with a firearm. • December 17, 2017 – a black male suspect described as 6’ tall, weighing 250-300 lbs., wearing a gray hoodie, gray sweatpants, gloves, a mask, and carrying a black backpack, entered the Family Dollar Store located at 4285 Kathleen Road in Lakeland, and committed a robbery with a firearm. • February 28, 2018 – a black male suspect described as in his 30s, 6’ tall, 200-250 lbs., wearing a gray sweatshirt, a white hat, gloves, a mask, and red & white sneakers, entered the Dollar General Store located at 2040 CR 540-A East in Lakeland, and committed a robbery. He did not brandish a firearm, but he did tell the clerks “be cool and nobody gets hurt.” He zip-tied the two employees’ legs together before fleeing the scene. He was seen riding a bike during this robbery. Video surveillance photos from the two December PCSO robbery investigations were posted on the PCSO Facebook page, and a surveillance video from the February PCSO robbery investigation was posted, during which Sheriff Judd described the suspect as a 6’ tall, 200 to 250-lb. black male, suspected in seven robberies in the central Florida area: https://bit.ly/2qnldHx “With all the technology available today, we’re not sure what this suspect was thinking. Moving in and out of Polk County, committing similar robberies elsewhere, as seen on video surveillance - he was bound to get caught. Thanks to the great teamwork with our central Florida partnering agencies, his robbing days are over.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff On April 10, 2018, while authoring and awaiting approval for an arrest warrant, PCSO detectives responded to Covington’s Bartow home, and observed him leaving in a truck. They followed the truck, which stopped at a Home Depot in north Lakeland. Covington got out of the truck, and into the passenger side of a Nissan Altima, which then drove to Kissimmee, and circled a Dollar General store. The Altima then drove to a Dollar Tree store, also in Kissimmee, at which time PCSO requested assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. OSCO Deputies responded and made contact with the driver, 27-year-old Joshua Patterson of Lakeland, and the passenger, Covington. Covington responded to a PCSO substation for an interview, during which he confessed to committing all 18 robberies in the Tampa Bay area. Covington advised that Patterson was the “getaway driver” during three of the robberies, and that on April 10th, they were planning to commit another one before being thwarted by law enforcement. PCSO deputies placed Patterson under arrest for one count Conspiracy to Commit an Armed Robbery (F-2) and booked him into the Polk County Jail. He is being held on no bond until a first appearance hearing this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The PCSO charges for Terell Covington are: • 2 counts Armed Robbery (December 10th and 17th robberies) (F-L) • 1 count Burglary with Battery (February 28th robbery) (F-1) • 1 count Robbery with a Mask (February 28th robbery) (F-1) • 2 counts Armed Burglary with Battery (December 10th and 17th robberies) (F-L) • 2 counts False Imprisonment (February 28th robbery) (F-3) He is being held on no bond until a first appearance hearing this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. More charges are pending from the other agencies listed above. Covington’s criminal history includes the following prior arrests: • October 2003 – Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) – No valid DL • April 2004 – Indiana State Police – No valid DL • September 2004 - Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) – No valid DL • June 2005 – Indianapolis PD – Cocaine possession • November 2006 - Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) – Grand theft auto • January 2007 - Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) – Violation of probation • March 2008 - Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) - DWLSR • April 2008 – Indianapolis Metro PD – Robbery • October 2008 - Marion County Sheriff’s Office (IN) – Robbery He was sentenced to six years in prison in Indiana for robbery.
Posted by Polk County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, April 12, 2018
CAPTURED: 32 yo Terell Covington of Bartow, who committed 20 robberies from Aug 27, 2017 in the city of #Lakeland until April 9, 2018 in the city of #Bradenton. Now he’s in the Polk Co Jail pic.twitter.com/4qJoRaWXKE
— Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) April 12, 2018
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