Arrest warrants served by Roanoke Rapids police Thursday have also led to a break in the Subway armed robbery, authorities said this morning.

Blount

Execution of search warrants by Roanoke Rapids police at 306 Madison and 331 West Fourth streets resulted in the arrests of Devonte Maurice Blount, 19, and Hakeem Talike Cotton, 24, for an armed robbery and kidnapping that occurred in the city on September 29, Major Tommy Hathaway said.

Lieutenant Bobby Martin of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said the two, along with three others not yet identified, are also alleged suspects in the October 28 armed robbery of Subway.

Hathaway said police executed two search warrants following a criminal investigation that involved the special response team, Criminal Investigation Division and uniformed officers of D Squad.

Cotton

The investigation into the September kidnapping and armed robbery led to the arrests of Cotton and Blount on two counts of robbery, two counts of assault by pointing a gun, one count of kidnapping and two counts of communicating threats. Cotton was also charged with simple assault.

The matter occurred at 101 Madison Street when the victims came to visit relatives and while still in the vehicle were allegedly met by Cotton and Blount, along with a third person who has yet to be identified.

The victim was ordered out of his car but refused and was hit in the head with the muzzle of a pistol and robbed. The passenger of the car was also robbed and the initial victim was forced into the trunk of the car, according to Hathaway.

Blount and Cotton were both jailed on $150,000 bonds and have December 12 court dates.

The investigation helped allegedly identify the men as suspects in the Subway robbery, Martin said.

Martin said warrants will be drawn up against Cotton and Blount and the sheriff’s office continues to investigate the robbery in which two people initially went in the restaurant on West Tenth Street to scope it out and then proceeded with the help of three others to rob and beat two employees. “Working with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department we exchanged information back and forth and received information on the robbery of a person that happened downtown. Through that we developed information on Mr. Blount and Hakeem.”

Martin that violence was used in both matters is not surprising and speculated it was to instill fear in the victims. “If you instill fear you’re less likely to get resistance.”

Hathaway, who said police are investigating to see if the pair are linked to other crimes, praised the work of Detective Corey Dixon in the case. “This case is an example we’re not going to tolerate citizens living in fear and we’re going to do best we can to bring safety and security to every street and every home.”