Escapees May be linked to overnight robbery/car theft (w/ description)

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Escapees may be linked to fireworks stand robbery

12/31/2000

By / The Dallas Morning News

Authorities are investigating whether the robbery of a southern Dallas County

fireworks stand early Sunday morning can be linked to the seven prison escapees

suspected of killing an Irving police officer, authorities said.

Halprin

Harper

Newbury

Rivas

Three armed men wearing camouflage clothes and bandanas robbed an Alamo

Fireworks stand at 1:40 a.m. Sunday at Interstate 45 and Wintergreen Road, said

Dallas County Sheriff's Department spokesman Investigator Don Peritz. They used

duct tape to tie up the employees, who were sleeping at the stand. Police could

not detail how many employees were there.

The robbers - one who had a 12-gauge pump shotgun - stole a 1998 metallic blue

Dodge Dakota pickup with Texas license plate 1BTN60, a .38-caliber pistol,

fireworks and about $3,400, Investigator Peritz said.

The employees were not injured and were able to escape and flag down a Hutchins

police officer just after 3 a.m. as they walked north on I-45. Employees told

sheriff's deputies the robbers said: " They were not going back to prison, "

Investigator Peritz said.

" We're not sure if it was the Connally seven, " Investigator Peritz said. " We're

depending on the Task Force to confirm. "

The seven men escaped from the Connally unit of the Texas Department of Criminal

Justice near Kenedy in South Texas on Dec. 13. The task force - comprised of the

Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Public Safety, the FBI,

the Texas Rangers and the Irving Police Department - is investigating the

fireworks stand robbery and several other robberies throughout the state to

determine whether the seven escapees are involved, said Texas Department of

Criminal Justice spokesman Larry Todd.

" We are not confirming that, " Mr. Todd said. " We have had other robberies

throughout the state and we are not confirming that the escapees are connected

to any or them. Nor or we going to speculate. "

Mr. Todd said Sunday officials gained no promising new leads in their efforts to

track down the escapees. The seven men are suspected of killing Irving police

Officer Aubrey Hawkins on Christmas Eve after robbing the Oshman's Super Sports

USA store in Irving.

Authorities said the robbers stole Officer Hawkins's gun after shooting him and

then ran over him. The robbers stole more than 25 semiautomatic firearms,

ammunition, winter clothing and about $70,000 in cash and checks, authorities

said. Those weapons are in addition to the shotgun, rifle and 14 handguns taken

from the prison.

Authorities also believe two of the seven escapees - 30-year-old Rivas

and 38-year-old Newbury - are responsible for a Dec. 15 robbery of

a Radio Shack in Pearland, a Houston suburb. No one was injured in the robbery

but the men stole police scanners and other radio equipment, which authorities

said has made it easier for them to allude police.

The Pearland Police Department has issued warrants for the arrest of Mr. Rivas

and Mr. Newbury.

Authorities believe the men had outside help in aiding in their prison escape.

They have not indicated whether they have suspects.

Rewards leading to the capture of the escapees total $100,000. Anyone with

information about the whereabouts of the escapees or offenses they may have

committed call 1-, *DPS on a cellular phone or 911.