Parolee arrested minutes after alleged armed robbery of local variety store

Blaze Connor Lamb - Submitted photo
Blaze Connor Lamb - Submitted photo

A homeless man on parole was arrested Friday afternoon minutes after he allegedly robbed a local variety store at gunpoint, fleeing with about $50 worth of merchandise.

Blaze Connor Lamb, 24, who lists "city streets" as his address, was taken into custody around 3:15 p.m. and charged with felony counts of aggravated robbery, punishable by up to life in prison, and possession of a firearm by certain persons, punishable by up to six years, and a misdemeanor count of theft of property, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Lamb was being held Tuesday at the Garland County Detention Center on a total bond of $75,000.

According to court records, he was convicted in 2017 in Garland County Circuit Court on felony charges of theft by receiving over $5,000, involving a stolen car, two counts of residential burglary and theft of property and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was later paroled.

According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 3 p.m. Friday, Hot Springs police Officer Cash Murray was in the area of Broadway and Market streets when a dispatcher advised him of an armed robbery that had just occurred at the Family Dollar Store, 640 Malvern Ave.

They described the suspect as a white male, tattooed, wearing a black hat, white shirt and black pants armed with a handgun who had fled the store headed toward the area of Orange Street.

Murray got out on foot on the trail that runs behind Family Dollar and located a male matching the description, later identified as Lamb, and detained him at gunpoint until he could be taken into custody by Murray and Cpl. Jason Greene.

Lamb was read his rights and asked about the handgun he supposedly had earlier and he "indicated by motioning with his head" to an area nearby where a loaded Glock 9-mm handgun was found. Lamb was also allegedly found to be in possession of $50.81 of merchandise from Family Dollar.

Greene brought the employee who was allegedly robbed to the scene and she reportedly identified Lamb as the one who had pointed a gun at her. She stated Lamb was shopping in the store and brought merchandise to the front to be checked out.

When she gave him the total, she said he pulled out a pistol, pointed it at her and told her to "give him the money." The employee said she froze and yelled for her manager prompting Lamb to flee the store with the merchandise.

Lamb was brought to the police department and questioned by Detective Mark Fallis and allegedly admitted to using the firearm and demanding money from an employee at Family Dollar. He said he had purchased the gun on an earlier date.

Upcoming Events