By Lindsey Shelton

  • The Latest

    • Local non-profits recognized
    • Courthouse records: Feb. 3-9, 2012
    • Man rescued from house fire
    • ACCS looking for answers as playoffs approach
    • Former king enjoys Mardi Gras season

    • Readers Are...

    64%
    Furious
    18%
    Thrilled
    9%
    Intrigued
    9%
    Bored
    0%
    Sad
    0%
    Laughing

19-year-old arrested in hotel robbery

Published 12:03am Thursday, January 12, 2012
Comments

NATCHEZ — A Natchez man was charged Wednesday in connection with the Monday night armed robbery at the Grand Soleil Hotel.

Natchez Police Department investigator Jerry Ford said Larry Thomas, 19, 16 Oscar St., was charged with one count of armed robbery and a second count is pending.

Thomas reportedly entered the hotel wearing a hood over his face at approximately 11:20 p.m., pointed a gun at the desk clerk and demanded the money in the cash register.

The clerk reportedly gave the Thomas $300 from the register, and he then pointed a gun at a woman sitting near the desk and demanded her purse. Thomas allegedly took the woman’s purse, containing approximately $200 in items, and fled on foot.

The pending armed robbery charge is for the robbery of the woman sitting near the desk. McDonald said no bond has been set for Thomas. He also said Thomas was a person of interest in another robbery under investigation by the department.

The robbery is the second at the hotel within the last month.

Two 15-year-old boys and one 14-year-old boy were charged last month in connection with the Dec. 17 armed robbery of a front desk clerk at the hotel.

The boys were also charged in connection with the armed robbery of a man on North Union Street near Carpenter School Apartments on Dec. 16.

 

Comments
  • Anonymous

    “Larry Thomas, 19, 16 Oscar St., was charged with one count of armed robbery and a second count is pending.”

    Conveniently located within a half mile of the hotel…WHO KNEW?

  • Anonymous

    I thought that was Dumas drive which is why I referenced it yesterday.  The perp lived exactly where I thought but I had the street name wrong.

  • http://profiles.google.com/everette.roberts Everette Roberts

    Turn him loose lillian sanders……..”I have a dream”…………..

  • Anonymous

    Violent crimes are on the rise in our area that’s for sure but has anyone taken notice that the NATCHEZ POLICE DEPT. has arrested most of the thugs doing these robberies. In doing so they’ve taken many guns off the streets, including sawed off shotguns! I would like to thank Chief Danny White, his investigators and patrol officers for the job they are doing.

  • Anonymous

    BINGO!!!

  • Anonymous

    Way to go, Natchez PD! Another one off the streets…please keep him off the streets, judges! Does anyone else here notice that boys/men between the ages of 14 & 20 really need something to do around here? Fathers, church leaders and community leaders need to mentor these guys…or develop some kind of work program, something!

    And for Natchez PD, have you considered these crimes may be gang-related? If so, a specialized gang task force can do wonders. Where I grew up began festering worse and worse with drug and gang activity, and while it still has a ways to go, vast improvement in the security of the communities and the reduction of crime have been realized in recent years from this specialized effort. Check out Wichita Falls, Texas’ efforts. I’m sure thousands of cities have these, but WF is only about 100,000 population, so it’s not huge. I know strides have been made here lately, and I’m so impressed with how quickly apprehension of these robbers have been made. We have the benefit of being a small community where personal recognition is easier to make, and I am so glad people are not afraid to turn these guys in. They need to “get it”.

    Community – the good, the bad, the ugly, we see it through, and each of us can make a difference. It matters! Each of these young men matter, and they need to be told they DO have a purpose besides all this mess.

  • Anonymous

    Well damn, I guess he miss n wanna be with his friends that robbed that hotel a few weeks ago, damn fools!

  • Anonymous

    Only 500,000 years or so behind according to Mr. Darwin. These winners predate Fred and Wilma. The Geico caveman laughs at these Bro Magnon idiots.

  • Anonymous

    Good post “CtheOtherSide”…but just “who” is going to tell them? Black “community leaders”? Parents? Their peers? Who?

    I don’t see anyone stepping up to the plate other than to complain about all the reasons why these hoodlums commit crimes…as if making excuses for their behavior.

    This didn’t just start overnight. It has been building over years and years…generation after generation…with the destruction of family structure, complete loss of morals, lack of effort in our schools, single or poor parenting, etc.

    Unfortunately, the only quick way to solve our growing crime is either lock them up indefinitely or eventually these hoodlums run into the wrong armed citizen or law enforcement officer and learn a permanent hard lesson.

  • Anonymous

    We should organize a march… 

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Well, the marching and talking ain’t getting it but a 30 cent to 1 dollar lead jacket bullet will get their attn. I promise you!! Now tell the truth??!! This will tell the gang members and buddys to beware on the humbug!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Why do people do these things?    Are they able to think?  
    Cause and Effect 101:
    If I do this…this will happen…and if this happen…this will follow. If the effect is undesired( jail, loss of family and freedom, or
    even death).  Review the undesired effect and think hard!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Oh yes…lets do it….but where and when….and under who’s banner shall we march?  ….or does it even matter…that’s it…we’ll just march for the pure heck of doing it…maybe call it a 1 mile fun walk, get the schools involved, churches, etc…and….er…yeah…lets get some grant money….invite the Governor….oh, wait…no lets invite the President…yes, that’s the ticket…and we’ll get businesses to donate food and door prizes…and…and…yaw’ll help me…I’m running out of ideas….oh…and YES…we’ll make the Grinch Mathis the Grand Marshall and let her ride in a rickshaw pulled by Gray and Fields…now we’re getting somewhere….oh wait…and we can get the City of Natchez to print souvenir t-shirts comemorating the event…and…and…we can get Oprah to come do a show…and…and….yaw’ll help me…this is gonna be GOOD….

  • Anonymous

    Good job NPD.  To those who say there isn’t anything for young people to do here but commit crime I say BS!

    Get a job.  There are 100s of old houses here that need restoration.  Learn a trade in iron work, carpentry, historic restoration.  No they won’t aford you “bling” but they are honorable and respectable trades and will feed and cloth you.  if you can find time to commit crimes and hang out you can find time to go online and figure out how to take care of yourself–it is YOUR LIFE.  RUN IT!

  • Anonymous

    NatchezMS1978, I believe you’ve given up hope. For those who wish to exert effort to change things, and I do believe the main thing we can do is pray…and do something…I believe you should allow them to brainstorm a way. Do you have any ideas? You went a little overboard on that last one. The way things are isn’t the way they always have to be…but they will be if nobody changes anything.

    The definition of insanity: doing the same thing and expecting different results. So, what will we do differently? Do you have any ideas, NatchezMS1978? Throwing satire does not fix anything, but it does frustrate those who are willing to even consider sharing ideas. Maybe, just maybe one of these ideas will be perpetuated by someone with courage to see them through. Don’t give up. It can be done, and it has been done in other places. It takes a community willing to be a community and willing to effect change.

    These young people need direction, and yes, they need a reality check, or as NatchezSouthside said, give them jobs and hold them accountable to a level of excellence that will get them somewhere. This town has the worst work ethic I’ve ever seen. Can we change it? Sure we can…one person at a time.

  • Anonymous

    You can’t “give” a job to anyone…it takes effort and a willingness to work to obtain and keep a job.

Editor's Picks