A crime spree that involved the armed robberies of five cab drivers and a home invasion in only six days has come to an end with the arrests of three people.
In all of the cases, the robbers — armed with guns and knives — called a cab to a dark isolated location and upon arrival would rob the drivers of cash and other items.
No injuries were reported.
Joseph J. Cotton, Mazi L. Griffith and Miea D. Stoutamire have been booked into the Pima County jail on charges of armed robbery, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted armed robbery.
Cotton and Griffith are also facing kidnapping charges.
Sgt. Fabian Pacheco, a Tucson Police Department spokesman, gave the following account of the crime spree that began Sept. 25:
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Just before 11 p.m., three people people armed with guns forced their way into a home in the 2700 block of North Flanwill Boulevard, near East Grant and North Country Club roads.
They ordered a teen to the floor and held him at gunpoint while they stole his wallet, laptop and other property.
The following day around 10:17 p.m. police got a call about an armed robbery in the 1600 block of North Camilla Boulevard, near North Country Club Road and East Speedway.
A Yellow Cab driver said three gunmen who wore bandannas on their faces robbed him.
The next robbery occurred Sept. 28 at approximately 11:43 p.m. in the same area where a cab driver said that two gunmen robbed him.
Little more than three hours later in the early morning hours of Sept. 29, police were called to a Circle K at 2750 N. Tucson Boulevard for another report of a cab driver being robbed.
The driver said he was called to an apartment in the 2400 block of East Glenn Street where two men confronted him. One had a gun and the other had a knife.
They demanded all of his money and then ran away.
Two more robberies and one attempt were reported early Oct. 1.
The first of those three incidents was reported just after 2 a.m. in the 2500 block of East Alta Vista Street — near North Tucson Boulevard and East Glenn Street — where the driver said three men with bandannas on their faces robbed him at knifepoint.
Then at 3:19 a.m., an officer was flagged down by a cab driver who was robbed in the 700 block of North Belvedere, near North Columbus Boulevard and East Speedway, by two men.
The final incident was unsuccessful and was reported around 4:41 a.m. when a Discount Cab driver went to pick up a fare in the 3200 block of East Willard Street, near Country Club Road and East Fairmount Street.
When he was confronted by two men armed with guns, he sped away because he had heard about the earlier robberies.
A fourth man is being sought but police did not release any information on that person as the investigation is ongoing.
Cotton, 19, Griffith, 30, and Stoutamire, 27, were arrested Wednesday night while they were driving near North Campbell Avenue and East Adelaide Drive. All are from Tucson.
Stoutamire was arrested and indicted earlier this year on an aggravated assault charge. She has also faced charges of assault, criminal trespass and criminal damage, according to online court records.
Griffith has been arrested on assault and criminal damage charges as well as a marijuana violations, records show.
Online court records did not show any other prior arrests for Cotton.
All three remained in jail Thursday.
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