Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Police arrested a Jonesboro woman after they said she helped set up the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver in late April.
On April 28, Jonesboro police officers responded to an armed robbery involving a pizza delivery driver at an apartment in the 3300 block of Caraway Commons Drive.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim reported that upon arrival, he was approached by a man who claimed he was picking up an $80 order for his girlfriend. While the man looked like he was searching his pockets for cash, another man pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the victim, and demanded the food. Before the victim could react, a third man lunged forward and snatched the pizza from the victim’s hands. All three men then ran off to the apartment.
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Following a tip from a witness identifying the three men, a detective met with one of them and his mother at the apartment complex on May 14. The suspect denied involvement, stating his GPS ankle monitor restricted him to the home after dark. A review of his tracking data disproved this claim, showing that he was in the parking lot at the exact time and location of the robbery. Thus, the suspect was taken into custody.
During a recorded conversation with the man’s mother, he identified his accomplices, noted that his sister had placed the initial order with the pizza company, and named “Shamia” as the person who first approached the driver. The man’s mother clarified that “Shamia” presented as male and is the girlfriend of one of the suspect’s sisters.
Utilizing law enforcement databases and relationship records, it was then confirmed that “Shamia” was actually 23-year-old Shamia Lanette Sims.
In a Mirandized interview, Sims admitted to serving as the point of contact and providing a false name for the order. She said that after she met the victim, one of the other two men pulled out a handgun and demanded the pizza. However, she maintained that she was unaware of any plan to rob the victim at gunpoint.
Online jail records show that Sims was arrested on June 1. She appeared two days later in front of District Judge Tommy Fowler, who found probable cause to charge her with aggravated robbery (Class Y felony) and theft of $1,000 or less – all others (Class A misdemeanor).
Sims is being held on a $250,000 cash/surety bond in the Craighead County Detention Center. She also must wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release. Her next court date is scheduled for July 30. If convicted on all charges, she faces up to life in prison and fines up to $2,500.
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