Second suspect charged in Lancaster store robbery

A second suspect in a September armed robbery at a Lancaster County store has turned himself in, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

Ladarius Akeem Moore, 20, of Lancaster, surrendered to authorities and was charged with armed robbery, according to sheriff’s spokesman Doug Barfield.

Deputies say they’ve arrested another man in connection with the armed robbery for cash and cigarettes earlier this week at JR Grocery in Lancaster County. Kenny Blackmon, 21, of Lancaster, has been charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s accused of robbing the store Brooklyn Avenue just before noon Sept. 28.

The store clerk told deputies a man with a gun demanded money and Newport cigarettes. No shots were fired at the store and no one was injured. Deputies say witnesses gave investigators a description of the man and his getaway car.

Less than 24 hours later, deputies say the city police department responded to an early-morning robbery at the Crenco store on S.C. 9 Bypass West. A man on surveillance video there matched the description of the suspect in the JR Grocery robbery, according to the news release.

Deputies believe that same man cashed in a $1 lottery ticket at a Crenco store on South Main Street about 10 minutes before the JR Grocery incident. Investigators then traced the sale of the lottery ticket and “determined that Blackmon was the man who cashed it at Crenco,” the release states.

Following the lottery ticket transaction and sale, investigators say they talked to witnesses who “implicated” Blackmon in the Crenco robbery from Tuesday. Police then arrested him. The sheriff’s office then charged Blackmon after interviewing him.

Investigators believe Moore drove Blackmon away from Eighth Street immediately after the JR Grocery robbery, Barfield said. No additional arrests are expected with that robbery.

The Crenco robbery investigation continues, and additional arrests are expected.

Anyone with information about this case or any other crime may call the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office at 803-283-3388 or Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (www.sccrimestoppers.com).

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Second suspect charged in Lancaster store robbery."