HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – News 3 has learned more about terror that unfolded in convenience stores across Hampton Roads after a string of robberies.
New court documents reveal accusations against two men.
On November 25, 2019, News 3 showed you images sent to us from Portsmouth Police.
They said they wanted help solving a robbery at a7-Eleven convenience store in the 3500 block of Deep Creek Boulevard.
The following day, the Newport News Police released a YouTube video showing an attempted robbery at a Shell gas station located in the 9000 block of Warwick Boulevard.
Documents state that Darrius Alexander Ford remained in the vehicle while Daniel Zeigler-Irizarry and another man entered the Shell market, pulled out a firearm and demanded money from the clerk. Police said one of the males attempted to open the safe but was unable to do so.
Documents state the two men are accused of being involved in seven robberies in Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton and Newport News.
Crime analyst and Former Detective Richard James said law enforcement likely worked together on this case from different cities. He said they likely connected the dots from the different robberies in different cities and brought in federal authorities to piece together what they think happened.
On November 25, 2019, at 2:30 a.m., a 7-Eleven convenience store located at 3500 Deep Creek Boulevard in Portsmouth was robbed.
The next day at 6:15 a.m., federal documents state the Come and Go convenience store located at 2212 Kecoughtan Road in Hampton was robbed. They state that 25 minutes later, the Shell gas station located at 9082 Warwick Boulevard in Newport News was robbed.
Records indicate that federal authorities believe the car used in the robberies was abandoned in Portsmouth.
They state on November 30, 2019, around 4 p.m., a gun was pointed at an unidentified woman, and she was forced to relinquish her black 2015 Kia Forte in the parking lot of the Happy Shopper convenience store at 120 West Mercury Boulevard in Hampton.
They state the car was spotted at 4:15 p.m. in the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Later that day, the Neighborhood Market convenience store located at 52 Afton Parkway in Portsmouth was robbed, and cigarettes and cigars were also taken.
On December 1, 2019, around 1 a.m., the Circle K convenience store located at 5191 W. Military Highway in Chesapeake was robbed, and a bag of chips was also taken.
Thirty minutes later, a 7-Eleven convenience store located at 3445 Western Branch Boulevard in Chesapeake was robbed, and tobacco products were taken.
Federal prosecutors say that Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry did not know that during the final robbery, a tracker was embedded in the stolen money.
Officials said using the signal emitted from that tracker, Newport News Police located the defendants in a stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop.
Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry are then accused of leading police on a high-speed pursuit before crashing.
They said both were apprehended a short distance away from the scene of the crash.
The men are facing 14 different charges each.
Documents show that some others involved have not been indicted in the case. They were charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery as well as several other charges, and they could face over 40 years in prison if convicted.
Federal documents state that a warrant has been issued for Zeigler-Irizarry for the new additional charges, but it is unclear whether he is currently in custody.
Ford is being held in the Norfolk City Jail. He agreed to an interview with News 3, but due to the fact that this is a federal case, the U.S. Marshals Service needs to get approval. We are waiting to hear back about this request.
No upcoming court dates are set right now.
