Fourth Suspect in Summer Holdups in Custody

By Sam Thrift Monday, November 21, 2011

The Newport News Police arrested a fourth suspect yesterday who they believe was involved in a string of armed robberies last June in the Historic Triangle.

Terri Roschel Bandy, a 31-year-old James City County woman, was arrested on outstanding warrants from the Williamsburg Police Department for the June 13 armed robbery of the McDonald’s at 1620 Richmond Road in Williamsburg, according to a press release.

Major Greg Riley said in a press release in June that two men entered the restaurant with handguns and ordered the store's four customers to get behind the counter. They then told one clerk to empty the registers and another to empty the safe. The employees and customers were then ordered to go to the back of the McDonald’s and stay on the floor while the robbers fled.

No one was hurt during the robbery. James City and York County have both had similar incidents, Riley said in the same press release, but it was not known if the crimes were related.

Riley later confirmed that multiple robberies during the month of June were related, involving Bandy and three other suspects.

“The other subjects involved in that incident are already in custody,” Riley said today in an email. According to Riley, the other suspects are 23-year-old Cyrus Havens of Williamsburg, 24-year-old Gary Piggott of James City, and 21-year-old Joshua Anderson, also of Williamsburg.

The four suspects are believed to have worked together, but Bandy has been charged with robbery, abduction and use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery for the McDonald’s robbery. The other three suspects are facing multiple charges, including robbery, abduction by force and use of a firearm in commission of a robbery for four other robberies.

The other armed robberies the four are suspected of being involved in included: the June 6 of the Days Inn on Lightfoot Road; the June 7 Miller Mart on Lightfoot Road; the June 8 robbery of 7-Eleven on Merrimac Trail; and the June 29 Wendy’s on Richmond Road robbery.  Click here to read more about those robberies.

“The warrants for Ms. Bandy were obtained at the same time [as the others] but she was not apprehended until yesterday,” Riley said.

Bandy is currently being held in Newport News Jail. Anderson and Haven will see their next day in court Jan. 10. Piggott’s next trial date is Jan. 18.