|
Kaufman County Judge Delivers Strong Message
Denise BellPost Managing Editor
June 25, 2009
Wednesday afternoon Kaufman County Judge Howard Tygrett delivered a 75 year jury imposed sentence to Ronald Willis Hollins for the early morning Armed Robbery of the Forney Whataburger.
At 4:32 a.m. on May 28, 2008, thirty-five year old Ronald Hollins of Mesquite and three accomplices, Christopher Paul Edmondson, 35, Richmond Lorenzo Littlejohn, 33 and Dorian Douglas Worlds, 27, all from Dallas, entered the Whataburger located on Highway 80 in Forney and robbed two female employees at gunpoint.
Both Whataburger employees were shaken up and scared but none the less could thoroughly describe the robbers and the “green SUV” that they were driving.
|
Quickly responding, Forney Police Officers Sprague and Holman were in route to Whataburger when Officer Sprague noticed the vehicle on the south service road of Highway 80.
When Officer Sprague attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, the suspects fled west bound on Highway 80 leading both Forney patrol units on a high speed chase that reached speeds that exceeded 100 mph as they traveled thru Sunnyvale, Mesquite, and then into Dallas.
Giving chase as Forney Police Dispatcher’s coordinated the pursuit with Dallas Sheriff Deputies, tire spikes were laid on the highway just as the suspects approached Gus Thomasson Blvd. in Mesquite.
Dangerously avoiding the tire spikes, the suspects continued traveling into a residential neighborhood where they eventually bailed out of their vehicle and attempted to escape by running through the 500 block of Everglade Street in Dallas.
Determined to apprehend the suspects, Officers Sprague and Holman pursued them on foot through an unfamiliar residential neighborhood.
Officer Sprague started chasing two suspects. Eventually he had to immobilize one of the two suspects by tasering him. After apprehension, Dallas Fire and Rescue removed “two taser prongs” from this suspect so that he could be transported to jail.
The second suspect Officer Sprague was chasing was caught before he could escape by climbing a fence, with the assistance of a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff. Officer Holman also gave chase, detaining the third suspect several houses from where the foot pursuit began.
Forney Police subsequently discovered through investigations the identity of a fourth suspect who was arrested at a later date.
Kaufman County First Assistant Prosecutor Brian Corrigan prosecuted the case with the valued assistance of Chief Prosecutor Cameron Cowans and DA Investigator Randy Nixon.
Spending the last year compiling the facts of the case and then presenting it to a jury, Corrigan stated, “We would really like to thank Forney Police Officer’s Sprague and Holman, they risked their lives chasing these guys and if it wasn’t for their courage we would not have caught them.”
Granting a Post Interview after the verdict was delivered, Corrigan elaborated by stating, “The Forney Police just did an outstanding job investigating this crime. All the officers involved should be commended, including Detective Prewitt who investigated the robbery and Officer Weems who interviewed the victims and took their statements.”
Corrigan explained “Hollins is a career criminal. He has two drug convictions both in Dallas County. One burglary in Ellis County and one burglary in Tarrant County, and all of them are felonies. Hollins was eighteen the first time he went to jail so his criminal history was presented and apparently it made a difference to the jury.”
According to Prosecutor Corrigan, “The remaining defendant’s (Edmondson, Littlejohn and Worlds) will each go to trail, soon.”
Corrigan further stated, “We are really pleased and would like to thank the jury for sending such a strong message that these kinds of violent crimes will not be tolerated in Kaufman County.”
