CHARGED: Two men accused in four separate armed robberies
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Two Milwaukee men are facing charges in connection with four separate armed robberies that occurred in May 2014.
20-year-old James Gill of Milwaukee and 24-year-old Norman Smith III of Milwaukee are each facing four counts of armed robbery.
According to the criminal complaint, Gill and Smith were involved in one armed robbery on May 25th and three armed robberies on May 28th.
The complaint indicates that on Sunday, May 25th Gill and Smith approached two women near W. Hampton Avenue and N. 49th Street with a handgun and demanded property.
According to the criminal complaint, the men obtained purses and phones from the women before fleeing the scene on foot.
Through a photo array, both victims were able to identify Gill as the man with the gun that demanded property. Through another photo array, one of the victims was able to identify Smith as the second suspect that demanded property.
The second armed robbery occurred on Wednesday, May 28th in the parking lot of a Walmart in the Village of West Milwaukee.
The complaint indicates that Gill and Smith approached a woman as she was exiting her vehicle and demanded property. Gill, who was the passenger in the vehicle Smith was driving, allegedly approached the victim, pointed a gun at her stomach and stated, "Where's your money? Where's your purse? Give me everything you have."
The victim gave Gill her cell phone and then begged him to let her get her baby out of the car, according to the criminal complaint.
Following the robbery, Gill ran back to the vehicle and both suspects fled the scene.
The third armed robbery also took place in the parking lot of a Walmart. This time, Gill and Smith approached a woman exiting her vehicle at the Walmart on 27th Street in Franklin.
According to the criminal complaint, Gill exited the vehicle, approached a woman and said, "“Don’t do anything, get in the car, don’t say anything.”
The victim told police that she pushed her purse at Gill and then began to walk toward a security officer. Once the victim reached the security vehicle she saw Gill get into her vehicle and drive away.
Gill eventually abandoned the victim's SUV and took approximately $50, according to the complaint.
The suspects are also accused of robbing a woman who was walking in an alley near Burleigh and Holton.
According to the criminal complaint, Gill and Smith spotted a woman walking in the rear alley to her residence with a "long case" and decided to rob her.
The complaint indicates Gill approached the woman and said, “give me all your stuff” and pointed a silver semi-automatic handgun at her knees.
According to the criminal complaint, Gill then grabbed the victim's custom longbow, which was in a carrying case. At that time, the victim began to beg Gill not to take her belongings. While begging Gill, the victim observed the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Smith, tell Gill to "just shoot her and take it."
Gill then grabbed the bow and pushed the victim to the ground.
Gill told authorities that after he took the case, he got back into the car and they drove to a gas station.