In NLR robbery turned fatal, two men arrested, warrant issued for third

North Little Rock police arrested two men Friday and issued a warrant for a third in the Sept. 22 robbery and shooting death of a convenience store clerk.

Police arrested Jacobi Robinson, 20, of 1201 South Road, Jacksonville, about 9:45 a.m. and charged him with capital murder and aggravated robbery, according to reports.

After waiving his rights to remain silent and have a lawyer present, police said, Robinson admitted to shooting Akiya Egeston, 29, during a robbery at the EZ Mart at 3600 MacArthur Drive.

Three men entered the business where Egeston was working and robbed the store at gunpoint, police said. The men fled, but one of the men walked back into the storeand shot Egeston.

Egeston was found dead inside the store after officers responded to an alarm at the business shortly after 9 p.m.

While being escorted from the North Little Rock detectives office on West Pershing Boulevard to a waiting patrolcar to take him to the Pulaski County jail Friday afternoon, Robinson stated, “I just want to say ‘I’m sorry’ to the family. I didn’t mean to kill that lady.”

Police also arrested Davion Howard, 19, about 3 p.m. in Texarkana, where he wascharged with capital murder and aggravated robbery. Police did not release Howard’s home address Friday afternoon,

Howard was taken to the North Little Rock detectives office where he was being in-terviewed Friday afternoon, police spokesman Sgt. Brian Dedrick said.

Howard was also charged in the robbery of a convenience store in Jacksonville that occurred about five hours after the North Little Rock robbery, according to reports.

In that case, a man wearing similar clothing to one of the men in the North Little Rock robbery took cash from thebusiness and threatened to kill the clerk, police said.

Dedrick said a warrant has been issued in the EZ Mart robbery and homicide for Maclin Rogers, 20, of 1007 Wright St., Jacksonville.

Rogers had not been arrested as of Friday afternoon.

Egeston’s slaying was the sixth homicide in North Little Rock this year. Two days after the killing, Sidney Rufus, 23, was stabbed to death at a house at 1118 N. H St., bringing the city’s total homicide count to seven.

Devante Cooney was charged with first-degree murder in Rufus’ death.

North Little Rock police recorded nine homicides at this time last year, ending the year with 13.

Three days after Egeston’s death, M.D. Islam, 26, was shot and killed while working at the Big Red Food Mart at 2401 E. Sixth Ave. in Pine Bluff.

Police have not said definitively whether that case is connected to the North Little Rock and Jacksonville robberies.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 09/29/2012

Upcoming Events