POLICE: Neighborhood crime cameras help catch serial armed robber

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Baton Rouge Police Department announced the arrest of a suspect accused in five robberies.

According to police, Kevin Johnson, 55, was taken into custody on the evening of Monday, Dec. 26. They added that he was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on five counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

Police said Crime Prevention District’s License Plate Readers helped detectives collect evidence that placed the suspect in the area of each robbery.

“Our system helped take a very dangerous criminal, someone who committed multiple armed robberies, off the street,” said Gary Patureau, Sherwood Forest Crime District Commissioner.

The armed robberies, which began on Nov. 20, took place at the Dollar General on Florida Boulevard, the Smoothie King on Florida Boulevard, the Kangaroo Express on Millerville Road, the Baskin Robbins on Florida Boulevard, and at Podnuh’s BBQ on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard.

“It’s bigger than police, that’s number one, and members of the community are taking the charge and the initiative to be proactive to prevent those types of criminals from committing crimes in their neighborhood,” said Sgt. L’Jean McKneely with BRPD.

Crime cameras in the Sherwood Forest area were extremely instrumental in providing a lead to identify the armed robbery suspect, his vehicle, and most importantly, to prevent another robbery from occurring, added police.

“We actually felt based off the evidence that he had in the car, that he might’ve been in route to commit another robbery,” explained McKneely.

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