Police in two metro area cities say two men who were shot during an armed robbery in Pearl last week, could be tied to other armed robberies nearby.
During attempted robbery last Tuesday, Honduran Alex Vivas was shot and killed by a store manager at Gold and Silver Extravaganza on highway 80 in Pearl. His accomplice Arnoldo Villafuertay remains in critical condition at U.M.C.
Both men entered the business armed to the teeth, not uncommon for a robbery, but they were wearing women's dresses and carrying duct tape.
Now investigators in Richland and Jackson say they had crimes, where the robbers fit that exact description. Richland police say in October of 2009, two businesses, La Guadalupe, and Cash for Gold were held up by Hispanic men wearing masks over their faces.
The crimes caught on surveillance cameras, but the culprits were never caught.
Jackson Police say the men could be responsible for two robberies in September of last year.
On September 9th, two males entered the Omni Bank on County Line Road dressed as construction workers, and took and undisclosed amount of cash.
Then on September 24th, one male, dressed as a woman entered the business, and tied four employees into a vault and tied them up with duct tape.
That crime, one of three bank robberies the FBI is still trying to solve, despite the fact a $25,000 reward was offered for their capture.
FBI agents even labeled the criminals, the 'Duct Tape Bandits' because they tied up their victims with it before they left.
Investigators in Pearl say the men were in the country illegally, which may be why they were able to operate below the radar of law enforcement, and avoid capture.
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