A rash of hotel robberies has investigators in South Carolina and Georgia seeking those responsible for five robberies in four days. Authorities say that hotels in Gaffney, Spartanburg, and Lavonia, GA have been robbed by the same people over the last week. The robbers appear to target hotels near Interstate 85. Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle says the individuals show great patience and are most likely seasoned criminals. “He was so cool and calm,” said Carlisle. “He was not nervous at all. It did appear as though he had done this before (and) been involved with criminal activity strictly based on his demeanor. He was just real cool and calm. When he completed the robbery he casually walked outside and waited for the car to pull around.”
Surveillance cameras show the robbers are driving a late model Toyota Camry or possibly a Lexus and that one of the robbers is a female. Also caught on camera, investigators were able to determine the robbers are using the same bag, and Aeropostale clothing line bag, to hold the stolen money. Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle says a Tri-State Investigators Conference is what allowed authorities to tie these crimes together so quickly. According to Carlisle, “Law enforcement agencies in Northeast Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina have a liaison in Pickens County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Dewey Smith. He has hundreds and hundreds of emails that when you get with Dewey, he just disseminates this information out and it’s just a networking organization.
“We were able to get the information to Dewey. He was able to get it out within a day and Gaffney picked up on what we had here.”
Carlisle says that working with Gaffney investigators, they were able to determine the hotels are being robbed by the same individuals. “We were able to get with Gaffney Police and look at some of their video(s), especially the one from the Red Roof Inn. It was the same individual that went to the door. Luckily, they had their interior door to the vestibule locked where he was not able to gain entry.
“He was dressed the same way. He was carrying the same bag which is an Aeropostale clothing line bag that the money was put in.”
If you have any information on the case, please contact your local authorities.