Swift coordination between Orange County Sheriff’s deputies and plain clothes detectives on Wednesday led to a suspect, involved in multiple strong-armed robberies, being carted off to jail.
Edward Rodriguez Negron, 36, was arrested and charged with several counts including, strong-armed robbery and possession of heroine.
Deputies said, a woman was walking along Oakridge Road and Texas Avenue around 1:00 pm, when suspect Negron ripping her purse from her shoulder and fled the scene in his vehicle.
Another female victim was robbed 25 minutes later in a similar manner, deputies said. The second victim was putting groceries in the trunk of her car at Wal-Mart on 8101 S. John Young Parkway when Negron, again grabbed the woman’s purse and fled the location.
Deputies quickly obtained the video from Wal-Mart and was able to determine that the vehicle was the same in both strong-armed robberies.
Plain clothes detectives from the Investigative Service Squad, charged with tracking down stolen vehicles and auto-related crimes, observed the getaway vehicle one hour later pulling into a hotel near Sandlake Road and South Orange Blossom Trail.
Detectives initiative a traffic stop at Landstreet Road and South Orange Blossom Trail where Negron was identified by one of the robbery victims.
Items linking Negron to the strong-armed robberies were found in his possession. Heroin was also found in the vehicle.
Negron was booked into the Orange County Jail.
