Two held in Muncie, Anderson robberies

• Da%27Andre Rayford%2C 18%2C Anderson%2C is accused of holding up an eastside Muncie store on Thursday night.
• Accomplice Jermaine Hood%2C 20%2C allegedly brought a shotgun into a Dollar General Store on Memorial Drive.
• Employees and customers in the store were ordered to lay on the floor%2C police said.
• Investigators said Rayford and Hood later held up an Anderson Dollar General store.

MUNCIE -- On Wednesday morning, 18-year-old Da'Andre M. Rayford was in Anderson City Court, pleading guilty to theft and resisting law enforcement charges and being placed on probation for a year.

On Thursday night, Muncie police say, Rayford and an accomplice — Jermaine Cortez Hood, 20, who was allegedly wielding a shotgun — were in an East Memorial Drive variety store, forcing employees and customers to the floor as they staged an armed robbery.

A little more than an hour after the Muncie holdup, at the Dollar General store at 2720 E. Memorial Drive, Rayford and Hood allegedly held up another Dollar General store, at 1315 W. 38th St. in their hometown of Anderson.

After later being chased by Anderson police, first in a stolen vehicle seen at the robbery scenes, and later on foot, Rayford was arrested. Hood escaped, however, and remained at large for several hours.

Rayford was in the Madison County jail on Friday, preliminarily charged with robbery, auto theft, theft and resisting law enforcement. The Anderson teen's bond was set at $20,000.

Muncie police Lt. Steve Cox said Friday no one was injured in the Muncie holdup, but those who encountered the bandits, including at least one child in the store, were "shaken up."

"They put the people on the ground and demanded currency from the cash register," he said.

While police believe Rayford's companion carried the shotgun into the Muncie store, they suspect the teenager was also armed, Cox said.

Regarding that other bandit, Cox said Friday afternoon authorities — in Anderson and Muncie — had "a strong person of interest."

On Friday night, Cox said Anderson police had arrested that suspect, Hood.

He was expected to face the same preliminary charges stemming from Thursday's Madison County robbery as Rayford. Charges stemming from the Delaware County holdup will be filed later, Cox said.

Hood also had three outstanding warrants for his arrest.

In September, he was charged with burglary, auto theft and criminal mischief in Madison Circuit Court 6, and domestic battery in Anderson City Court.

On Oct. 15, he was charged with criminal confinement, auto theft, battery resulting in bodily injury and criminal mischief in Madison Circuit Court 4.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.