Two arrested, two wanted in gun store burglary

On June 29, shortly before 3:00 a.m., the Alexandria Police Department received an alarm activation at a gun store on Jackson Street.

Several officers responded to the activation, and the first responding officer found that the front of the building had been almost completely destroyed. It appeared someone had driven a vehicle into the building.

Video surveillance footage confirmed that a vehicle had driven into the store. Several subjects then got out of the vehicle and quickly stole multiple guns before fleeing the scene.

Detectives were able to identify potential suspects in the case. The first of these suspects, Derrick Charles, was found at his residence in the 1900 block of Rapides Ave at around 10:00 a.m. They immediately saw evidence in the residence implicating Charles, who was transported to APD Headquarters for interview. Warrants were obtained on three other suspects, Aveion Hall, Dontaevious Zone, and Tyrique Bennett.

Based on information received, detectives learned that most of the stolen guns were hidden in a vacant house in the 0-99 block of Louisiana Ave. Seven of the ten stolen guns were recovered. A short time later, an APD sergeant located the vehicle used in the burglary, abandoned, in the 800 block of Stracener Street. Another of the stolen guns was located near the vehicle.

At around 4:00 p.m., Property Crimes Detectives working with the APD Street Crimes Interdiction Unit and the Patrol Division-Bravo Shift located Tyrique Bennett near the intersection of Louisiana Ave and Levin Street. Bennett ran when he was approached, however, officers pursued and quickly caught him after a brief foot chase.

“I am extremely proud of the job done by our detectives,” said APD Chief King. “They know their city, they know who to look for and where to find them. They got on the case immediately and were able to not only identify the suspects but retrieve most of the stolen property.

“I want to pass on a message to the criminals in our area, and that message is that we will catch you. If you are committing crimes repeatedly in Alexandria, we will catch you. We will spare no expense or effort in identifying you and making sure that you are prosecuted for your crimes. Find something else to do, because you will get caught, and you will go to jail.”

As of this release, warrants are still outstanding for Aveion Hall and Dontaevious Zone for Burglary. They are considered armed and dangerous; do not approach them. If you have information regarding their whereabouts, or any other information about this incident, please contact the Alexandria Police Department Dispatch at (318) 449-5099, or the Detective Division at (318) 441-6416.

During their investigation, Property Crimes Detectives obtained information that some or all of these suspects may have been involved in other burglaries. Further information will be forthcoming if and when additional charges are filed.