A "Scary Movie" mask bought at one Family Dollar and then used to disguise a robber in multiple armed holdups at other Little Rock and North Little Rock locations helped police solve the cases and make three arrests, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Three men have been charged this month in at least one of the crimes, which occurred between Sept. 14-22 at Family Dollar locations at 8510 Colonel Glenn in Little Rock, 4143 JFK Blvd. in North Little Rock and 4204 Camp Robinson Road in North Little Rock.
Eric J. Primeaux, 18, of North Little Rock; Jaylen Walton, 18, of North Little Rock; and Tyshon Miller, 20, of Sherwood each remained in the Pulaski County jail Thursday on charges including at least one count each of aggravated robbery and theft of property.
According to a Little Rock Police Department affidavit filed in Miller's arrest in Little Rock, authorities realized the cases were connected after surveillance showed the robber wearing the same mask in each holdup and carrying a similar shoulder bag in at least two of them.
Investigators then learned the mask is sold at Family Dollar stores. A "detailed inventory of the masks that were sold in the Central Arkansas area revealed" that the one worn in at least two of the robberies was purchased Sept. 14 at a Family Dollar on Arkansas 161 in North Little Rock, police said.
"Detectives viewed the footage from that purchase and watched as a black male later identified as Tyshon Miller purchased the mask and [left] the store," detective Grant Humphries wrote in the report. "A short time later another black male later identified as Jaylen Walton walked into the store, stayed for a few minutes and then left."
Surveillance footage captured before the North Little Rock Family Dollar robberies showed Miller and Walton inside them before the holdups, police said.
Miller agreed to come in for questioning earlier this month, telling investigators he bought the mask, drove Walton to the Family Dollar on Colonel Glenn and that Walton then robbed it, according to the affidavit. He "would not provide any particulars" about the North Little Rock holdups except that he knew Walton and another man were involved, the detective added in the report.
Walton next agreed to an interview, admitting he robbed the Little Rock store and identifying Primeaux as the robber at the JFK Boulevard store and Miller as the robber of the Camp Robinson store, detective Humphries wrote.
Walton said he was wearing the mask and wielding a BB gun when he robbed the Little Rock Family Dollar, taking the cash back to a getaway vehicle driven by Miller.
"After committing the robbery he said that that he ran back to Tyshon's car and that is when something strange happened," Humphries wrote. "He said Tyshon kissed him."
Walton added he was "afraid of Tyshon and that Tyshon had threatened to harm him and his family if he didn't participate in the robberies," the affidavit said.
All three suspects made initial court appearances this week. Miller's bail was set at $150,000, while Walton's was $112,500 and Primeaux's was $25,000.
Miller faces two counts of aggravated robbery in North Little Rock and one in Little Rock. Walton faces one charge of aggravated robbery in each city. And Primeaux is charged with only one count of aggravated robbery in North Little Rock.