Arrests Made Soon After Robbery

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Officer sees teens acting suspiciously enter store
Posted: 12:55 PM Jan 10, 2009
Last Updated: 4:29 PM Jan 10, 2009
Reporter: LeAnne Morman
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

35 comments

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With armed robberies on the rise, so is police presence at known hot spots. One officer caught some would-be robbers in the act.

While on patrol Friday afternoon, Officer Heidi Schlotzhauer noticed two teenagers wearing bandannas over their faces walk into the Kwik Shop near 103rd and Fort Street.

She then saw the clerk raise his hands in the air indicating a holdup was in progress.

Police say the pair left the convenience store in a maroon Cadillac and drove west on Fort Street. Officer Schlotzhauer followed the suspects and called for back up.

The police helicopter helped the officers conduct a high risk traffic stop at I-680 and Maple Street. The two 16-year-olds were arrested without incident and taken to the Douglas County Youth Center where they were booked on charges of robbery and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

More metro businesses were later robbed at gunpoint. Employees at the Family Dollar on 24th and Hamilton Street tell police a man came in around 7:45 p.m., pulled a gun and demanded money. He took the cash and ran. Officers searched, but couldn't find him.

The clerk at the Kum & Go on 131st and Fort reported that three men came in just before 11 p.m., showed a gun and took money before running away.

Police will continue to pay special attention to hot spot areas with emphasis on convenience stores and ask anyone with information regarding any robbery to call them at 444-7837.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: RUKiddingMe on Jan 14, 2009 at 06:19 PM
Nice job Heidi, you did an outstanding job. Concerned Citizen: Which police training academy did you graduate from? Just curious.

Posted by: dave on Jan 13, 2009 at 09:04 AM
1 down and way to many to go she should have busted in on them and shot them both send a message and this might slow down

Posted by: shoot em on Jan 13, 2009 at 08:58 AM
I think the only way that this is going to stop , and I don't want to say it , but a store cleark needs to shoot a robber give all these others that think its so easy that they try it something else to think about .

Posted by: scared of Omaha on Jan 12, 2009 at 10:43 PM
I understand why the clerk at Kwik Shop wanted out of Omaha. It's getting more and more scary and from now on, when I need to grab something at night, I'll go to a Walgreens where It's more safe, and has plenty of employees working. No thanks to becoming a victim at a convenient store. Convenient, maybe, but not safe without security guards. Armed security guards, I might add.

Posted by: Duh on Jan 12, 2009 at 02:42 PM
NEWS FLASH "Concerned Citizen"- The police don't sit at the assembly all day and wait for you to call 911. They are out driving around answering calls and patrolling their districts and giving special attentions to business and lots etc. The officers that work out of 103rd and Fort cover the area from Saddle Creek and Dodge to 48th and Mckinley all the way West to as far as Elkhorn goes now. Don't second guess how an officer does their job until you've been trained and know the protocol. What good does it do for any officer to go into and unknow 2 suspect 1 officer situation without back. They are outnumbered and if the officer is gunned down the clerk will certainly be killed as well as a witness. Nowhere does it say the officer saw the suspects pointing a gun etc. which would certainly change the response. People like you would criticize the police no matter what their response. Great job officer!

Posted by: Viewer1 on Jan 12, 2009 at 01:39 PM
Remember years ago grocery stores and gas stations would have cops pose as employees? There were posters by the front door telling customers. Funny thing is there wasn't much of a robbery problem back then.

Posted by: Congrats on Jan 11, 2009 at 10:34 PM
Wow, Concerned Citizen--way to find a negative to a good story. Congratulations. Maybe she sitting at the light behind a couple cars on 108th when she looked over and saw it. I'm guessing she wasn't sitting IN THE PARKING LOT and by the time she could get to where they were they were headed back out. They weren't there for a good chat and cup of coffee. You people are just ridiculous.

Posted by: Concerned Citizen on Jan 11, 2009 at 09:38 PM
I'm amazed to know that IF MY LIFE IS IN DANGER, OPD WILL WAIT until the robbery is over to arrest the assailants. Was anyone concerned about the clerk? Apparently, a clerk's life is not worth the risk to an officer. Why couldn't she get backup at the Kwik Shop, with a station just a couple blocks away and all the extra officers on overtime? Why wait until the robbers are driving away, risking the lives of more people to a possible high speed pursuit? This story had a happy ending, but I'm extremely concerned about how OPD handled the situation.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 11, 2009 at 08:43 PM
Carol, next time you go in the front door, notice the "no concealed firearms" sign, and then ask them what good it did to have it up there.

Posted by: carol on Jan 11, 2009 at 05:37 PM
I frequent this Kwik Shop everyday and I know all the clerks and I fear for them everyday. I am greatful that no one was hurt in this senseless crime. I am very grateful the officer was in the right place at the right time to catch these punks. Now, prosecute and jail them. No plea bargins or they will be out doing the same thing next week.

Posted by: A on Jan 11, 2009 at 02:37 PM
Why are all of you so surprised that the robbers are 16? I'm a high school teacher and see these kind of loser kids all the time. The "kids" now a days have worse language than a sailor, they have no respect for authority, they vandalize our school,bring weapons with them, and they are plain out thugs. The bad kids out there far outweigh the good kids around, wake up people. It's sad but true.

Posted by: TRH on Jan 11, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Heidi good job you rule!!!!

Posted by: Butch on Jan 11, 2009 at 09:01 AM
Now let's see some follow-up on this story. Items like: 1. how long before they're back on the streets? 2. how far down the prosecutors plead them? 3. how long before the pukes are right back at robbing places again? and of course 4. the tearful relatives bemoaning the "fact" that they were "just starting to turn their lives around."

Posted by: JD on Jan 11, 2009 at 08:53 AM
Great Job Heidi way to be aware!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 11, 2009 at 08:16 AM
I can smell it already. Another case for James Martin Davis. "My client should be set free, they meant no harm to anyone".

Posted by: Sam on Jan 11, 2009 at 08:10 AM
Bravo to Officer Schlotzhauer and OPD! Now, how do we convince our city's leaders that with violent crimes on the rise, we need more police on the force, on the street, doing just what Officer Schlotzhauer and her peers do every day? Thank you Officer and keep up the good work!

Posted by: Bob on Jan 11, 2009 at 06:20 AM
Not to bright. With the Kwik Shop only 3 or 4 blocks from the Northwest Station where they have cruiser coming and going up and down 103 all day long.

Posted by: birdboxed on Jan 11, 2009 at 02:55 AM
Lets see here, fifty extra police on duty making overtime catch 2 kids in a robbery. The reason people are doing this so much is you have a better chance winning a powerball in Nebraska then being caught robbing, killing or drunk driving in Omaha. Hats off to Omaha Police if youre plates are one day over do watch out, they will get you as for killing people, youre safe. These are facts not fiction what kind of education and traing do these cops get. I have way more respect for the State Patrol at lease they do their job and it dont take 20 of them with dogs and a helipoter.

Posted by: JK on Jan 11, 2009 at 02:52 AM
Good grief... why would you rob a Kwik Shop that is right by a police station (103 and Fort)???? Police officers drive in and out of there ALL THE TIME. morons. Glad they caught them.

Posted by: Larry on Jan 10, 2009 at 09:26 PM
Good Police work! Perhaps our Neighbor hood watch groups can get more volunteers in areas like these to help spot suspicious activity. Need help recruiting by the local media. How about some in depth news stories about it. How about some of you brave hearts behind the key board raise your hand and step forward instead of complaining. Hey-checkout the squatters at Memorial park sometime and issue some tickets for illegal parking, speeding, probable drinking, or worse!!!

Posted by: TJ on Jan 10, 2009 at 09:16 PM
Way to go OPD.

Posted by: Dave on Jan 10, 2009 at 05:48 PM
What these punks and all other losers like this need is a toe tag and a body tag,they deserve nothing more! All criminals out there thank your lucky stars I am not a cop..There would be far fewer thugs on the street Ill tell you that!

Posted by: No Name on Jan 10, 2009 at 04:42 PM
What the hell is going on? 16 year olds robbing or attempting to rob a store is pathetic. Kids these days have no repect for anyone--including themselves. If I would have done anything like this as a kid, I would have had my butt beat. Oh wait--that is now considered child abuse. BULL

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 10, 2009 at 04:16 PM
Great work!!!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 10, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Great bust! However, they're juveniles - it'll be plea-bargained down, they'll just get probation, and continue with their violent crime career after this little stutter. I'm sure that their family, their baby mommas, and their fellow gang members will assure us all that they are really good kids that just made a mistake, and were really getting (their totally) worthless lives turned around.

Posted by: Haha on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:43 PM
Do these two fit the description of the 2 that killed the store clerk?

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:42 PM
These are not "juveniles"! They are hard core crimminals and need to be tried as adults. They know exactly what they were doing. We must lock them up and throw away the key and make examples of them for all THUGS to see. If you commit armed robbery you deserve no second chances. The Justice system needs to keep our Families safe from those who wish us arm. It's time to stop playing games with young men who believe they are above the Law do to age.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:41 PM
thank you OPD! you do a great job.

Posted by: Dan on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:27 PM
Great job OPD. These are the type of stories we like to hear. However, 16 year olds with guns is very alarming. I say try them as adults and put them in prison. Not just for a couple of years. For like 20 years.

Posted by: Ben on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:23 PM
Maybe these are the punks that killed the lady on 33rd And Q??

Posted by: J from Bennington on Jan 10, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Great job by OPD!

Posted by: Wow on Jan 10, 2009 at 01:56 PM
I live right up the street. I don't go to that Kwik Shop due to the propensity of robbery. But, 16???????? Our lives are in danger at the hands of children. Shame on their parent(s).

Posted by: t on Jan 10, 2009 at 01:21 PM
These thugs and punks will continue to rob businesses until they're caught. I also wouldn't be surprised that an arrest or two (like the current case) would clear a bunch of the unsolved robberies. The take on these type of robberies is relatively small and the thugs and punks blow through it pretty quick, necessitating more robberies. They gotta get their fix, ya know.

Posted by: Mike on Jan 10, 2009 at 01:15 PM
Those idiots must not have realized there is a police precinct right down the street.

Posted by: Wow on Jan 10, 2009 at 01:07 PM
That's really cool. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!