COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Police have arrested two people they said was responsible for robbing a convenience store and attempting to rob a motel.
Denise Johnson and Xavier Pillow were arrested and charged Tuesday with attempted Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Robbery, Possession of a Firearm while in commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
Officials with the Columbia Police Department said the two started their criminal activity by trying to rob the Days Inn and Suites on Nashville Highway around 1:00 a.m.
Police said a man entered the lobby wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a camoflauge mask carrying a handgun. The clerk retreated into the back room, locked the door and called 911. The male left the lobby without taking anything, and got away in a vehicle that pulled up to the door to pick him up.
Within 20 minutes, police got another robbery call, but this time from the Fast Stop on James Campbell Boulevard.
The clerk told police two people walked in with masks and handguns and robbed the clerk of money from the register.
However, surveillance video from both robberies showed that the suspects in each were the same people.
Officers broadcasted the suspects’ description to surrounding agencies. They were then quickly notified by Mt. Pleasant Police Department saying that they had located a vehicle matching the description at a residence in their jurisdiction.
Investigators with The Columbia Police Department responded to the residence in Mt. Pleasant where contact was made with 20-year-old Xavier Pillow and 19-year-old Denise Johnson.
