Police have charged two people and are looking for one more in connection to a string of robberies over the last month and a half that they say constituted a "small reign of terror."
Christopher Ray Johnson, 31, and Lashanda Denise Cummings, 39, are facing multiple aggravated robbery charges for three incidents on July 9, as well as another two days prior and federal charges for the robbery of a federal credit union on May 30.
The first robbery occurred outside a discount store on Mountain Creek Road, the next at a CVS on Hixson Pike, and the third at the Dollar General on Lee Highway. In all three robberies, a suspect held the victims at gunpoint and demanded money.
Similar witness descriptions of the suspects and the vehicle they used allowed police to locate the defendants who were found in the vehicle with a firearm and articles of clothing that matched witness descriptions. The pair were taken into custody without incident.
"Investigator William Puckett worked 30 hours straight to put these dangerous people in jail," said Property Crimes Lieutenant Craig Joel. "The entire team of CPD robbery investigators, patrol officers, and task force officers are extremely dedicated and committed to taking violent criminals off our city's streets as quickly as possible."
Lt. Craig Joel, who oversees robbery and burglary investigations in Chattanooga, could not give an exact number on the amount that had been taken in the various robberies, but did say it was "several thousand dollars."
"They were nothing short of a menace," Joel said.
Police have not yet located a third suspect, Alando Ray Johnson, 30, the brother of Christopher Johnson.
"In cases where you have multiple robberies committed by someone holding unsuspecting, law-abiding citizens at gunpoint, it's just a matter of time before someone gets injured or killed," Joel said.
"Johnson is a wanted fugitive and is considered armed and dangerous. While assistance from community members is appreciated, we do not want anyone to approach him, please just call 911."
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@times freepress.com or 423-757-6731. Follow him on Twitter @emmettgienapp.