The Payday Loan Times Police Blotter
By Desmond CarlislePayday Loan Writer
Because they are, by nature, locations where people can access quick cash, it's no surprise that payday loan stores are easy targets for criminals. A look at today's industry news reveals two armed robberies involving payday loans, one of which has thankfully been solved.
In Virginia, two Bentonville, Ark., residents were arrested in connection with a robbery at a Payday Now Cash Advance store.
On Friday, the Bentonville Police Department received a call regarding an aggravated robbery at the payday loan company, and a subsequent investigation showed that a male subject entered the store, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded cash.
The suspect’s accomplice, a female, was given an undetermined sum. The two fled the scene and the region, turning up in Virginia days later. Timothy Donnell Satchell, 27, and Marciela Barrientos Gomez, 27, were taken into custody by the Virginia State Police and are being held pending extradition to Arkansas.
In Cananda, a similar incident took place and the perpetrator is still on the lam. Police in Winnipeg, Manitoba are on the lookout for a man who robbed a Transcona payday loan outlet at knifepoint June 13.
The Winnipeg Sun reports that a pony-tailed suspect armed with a knife walked into the store, located on Regent Avenue, and abruptly demanding money. No one at the fast cash advance store was hurt.
Police are actively pursuing the man, who is described being in his early 30’s, and about 5' 10" with a stocky, 180-to 190-pound build, a pony tail and an unshaven face.
