Two Little Rock men are in custody following an armed pharmacy robbery in Redfield that investigators say is connected to an earlier robbery in Ashley County.
Authorities said a pharmacy in Redfield was robbed on March 18 by two suspects, leading to a multi-agency response. A vehicle matching the suspects’ description was identified, and officers with the Little Rock Police Department and Arkansas State Police initiated a pursuit that ended on Interstate 40 in Little Rock.
Following the pursuit, investigators from multiple agencies worked together to gather evidence and conduct interviews, ultimately identifying the suspects as Dedrick Dewon Thompson, 39, and Kadarius Ishmaiah James, 22, both of Little Rock.
The investigation revealed the pair were also connected to a March 11 armed robbery at Portland Drug Store in Portland. In that incident, authorities said two suspects dressed in black and armed with handguns entered the store, ordered a clerk and pharmacist to the ground and forced the pharmacist to retrieve narcotics, which were placed into a bag before the suspects fled.
Thompson and James are being held at the Ashley County Detention Center on charges of aggravated robbery.
During a first appearance hearing on March 20, Circuit Judge Robert Gibson III set bond at $1 million for each suspect.
Ashley County Sheriff Tommy Sturgeon credited the Arkansas State Police, Redfield Police Department, Portland Police Department and other assisting agencies, along with local citizens, for their efforts in bringing the case to a resolution.
